Mercenaries: Dark Void
The long-awaited re-make of Marines: Battalion Commander is (finally) here. As I mentioned some point in the distant past, it is not set in the Marines universe, but in a new one. It does, however, revolve around the same idea that M: BC did.

The Setting
The year is 2145. A century has passed since the fall of the nations of Earth in the ill-named Final War. Twenty years before this war began on the 26th of November 2043, the first of mankind left their home planet of Earth to begin life on the new colony of Mars. Just ten years before the war began, the first Lymann's Drive allowed a small, unmanned probe to visit the nearby star system of Alpha Centauri. This Probe heralded the start of mankind's Golden Age of Expansion, which lasted untill the outbreak of the War, and saw countless probes being sent out to map the area of the galaxy surrounding our solar system. Planetary systems were discovered and mapped, and before long planets were found that would be capable, with perhaps a slight alteration to climate or atmosphere, of habitation by human settlers. Plans were made to send colonists to these planets to begin new life beyond Earth, beyond Sol, among the stars. Unfortunatly, the War interrupted these plans.

Two years later and half the population of Earth was dead. Vast areas of the planet had been left barren by nuclear, chemical and biological weaponry. At the Dubai Conference, the leaders of the remnants of the once-superpowers agree to incorporate themselves into a single super-state in an effort to prevent any wars on this catastrophic scale from occurring again. Conversely, this super-state spent the next two decades forcefully annexing the nations that refused to be a part of it. However, by 2065 Earth was under the complete and total control of the Council, an assembly of twenty three elected individuals who governed the world. It became obvious to this Council that, despite the recent decimation of the population, within another few decades Earth would become disastrously overpopulated. The Council turned its eyes to the stars, and to the abandoned projects of the Old Nations. In just a few short years, vast orbital platforms were built, and there old starships were cannabalised and new ones built, ships designed for the purpose of spreading mankind's seed among the heavens.

Years later, and there are hundreds of colonised worlds. Resources gleaned from the first colonies, and a boom in human population, have spawned inhabited planets. All are under the control of the Council of Earth, but as the Outer Colonies move further and further away from the homeworld, it has become increasingly difficult for Earth to maintain control, and, more importantly, law. Piracy, something not seen on a major scale since the 1700s, has become rife among the lawless outer limits of humanity. Numerous planets have attempted to break free from Earth in open revolt, and although several have succeeded, many more have been brutally surpressed. Due to Earth's seeming inability to keep the pirates at bay, many planets now have their own 'Planetary Militia', private armies of colonial citizens to keep the peace and protect their planet. Although no open wars have been fought between colonies, skirmishes between militia have been reported, though hushed up by Earth, and it can only be a matter of time before Planetary Militiaman is pitted against Planetary Militiaman in battle.

Meanwhile, another lost line of work has returned to the forefront of civilisation. Mercenaries. Hired guns who fight for whoever is paying them. With the law of Earth growing weaker by the day, there is no shortage of job oppurtunities. Many of the colonies are experiencing rebellions or even civil war on their own planets, and Earth has not the resources to resolve these conflicts. And so it is that young men and women seeking fame and glory as mercenaries go to fight and die among the dark void of space.

Starting Players
There is no upper limit to the number of troops that you employ in your Company. However, bearing in mind that you will probably want decent equipment for them all, you should probably limit yourself to about 20 to start with.

Players start with 100,000 C. How you came by this money is up to you. You could have stolen it, been given it by a wealthy friend or taken it out on loan. Whatever, it will have little effect on the future events that unfold.

You have to spend this on several things. Firstly, you have to hire individual soldiers. Bear in mind that you don't just want 20 Regulars. A number of Officers and Non-Commisioned Officers are also needed to keep organisation up. You'll also need to equip yourself and all of the soldiers with weaponry. If you plan to travel within the not-so-distant future, you'll also need a Ship. You'll be able to choose from one of three start locations where you'll have ample oppurtunity to fight, so this isn't strictly necesarry.However, it could give you an early advantage over the others in the form of a wider range of missions. Other optional extras include a Quartermaster (who will sometimes be able to get hold of equipment for a lower price and will also lower the cost of your Company's monthly upkeep) and a Medic (who can patch up injuries and suchlike). Your character counts as an Officer of all kinds, and can equip any form of weaponry (but not specialised equipment of the kind fbelonging to Engineers, etc).

The price lists are long and, I should think, bewildering. If you want pointers on how to equip your Company (don't all get ultra-1337 black ops squads, by the way), then ask me. If you really can't be bothered, present me with a few guidelines and I'll assemble a Company for you.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Troops
There are different kinds and different grades. Basically, you take the Class of the soldier and add on the price of his Training Level. A well-trained or experienced soldier is very much less likely to die than a greenie, sometimes even if that greenie has superior equipment, so spend wisely.

Using the vast list of troop types, grades of training, weaponry and equipment it is possible to create a wide range of Companies. I will say now that you are best off stciking primarily to the ground. Although it is possible and permisable to have a Space Company, space warfare is a dangerous and gritty business with the lowest survival rate amongst the four service branches (army, navy, airforce, space navy). This said, it is entirely up to you.

Grades of Training (in ascending order of 1337ness):

Green - a man or woman quite literally picked from the street or a bar on a colony. No combat experience, limited training.
Enforcement Trained - a man or woman trained in law enforcement, policing actions is a little better, but not match for a traned soldier.
Militia Trained - most colonies have Colonial Militia, a non-Earth army formed either from compulsory planetary service or volunteers and acting as the first line of defense against pirates or raiders. While soldier-trained, they are often inexperienced.
Ex-Proffessional Soldier - after the Trian Rebellion a year ago, where three planets declared themselves independent and attempted to fight off Earth forces, the bolstered ranks of the Earth Colonial Military were lessened again as non-peacetime units were disbanded. This left a labour pool of experienced and well-trained soldiers who found themselves turning to other duties to earn their pay.
Proffessional Mercenary - the alternative to the Ex-Proffessional Soldier is the Proffessional Mercenary. Charging roughly the same amount, Proffessional Mercenaries are less disciplined and more independent than Ex-Soldiers, but are more experienced in dealing with certain kinds of enemies, being more learned in the ways of the Outer Colonies. Proffessional Mercenaries are also inclined to demand pay rises as they gain experience.
Ex-Black Ops - occasionally, if one knows where to look, one will come across ex-special forces troops. While the best of the best, they are both expensive and rare (max five per Company). To reach their maximum potential, they need very good equipment and support.

More Grades of Training will become available to you as the thread goes on. Next, you have to choose what Class the soldier is of:

EDIT 07/10/03: 'Non-combatants' can be equipped with Pistol-category weapons. These will be included shortly.

Regular - the Regular is capable of using any weapon able to be operated by a single man, and acts in the manner of a regular soldier in combat.

Heavy Weapons - a Heavy Weapon, by definition and for the purpose of this thread, is one that requires two operators to reload and carry it. Two Heavy Weapons Soldiers can operate one heavy weapon, and carry a sidearm each.

NCO - The NCO acts as a laison between Officers and troops, giving advice to trained-but-inexperienced officers and keeping the troops' moral up and the troops themselves disciplined. Carries Regular weapons. You will want the NCO to be a grade above normal troops. A ratio of 1 NCO : 10 normal soldiers is usually sound, but this can be pushed to 1:20 in exchange for a loss of organisation.

Officer - the Officer acts as the sub-commander of a number of men determined by yourself. You can't give orders to every single man in the Company in a battle, and so you give orders to Officers and have them relay them to their Squads/Platoons. An Officer uses Regular Weapons. A ratio of 1 Officer : 20- 40 normal soldiers generally works fine.

Vehicle Driver (ground) - a man trained to drive vehicles or form part of the crew of a vehicle. You can assign a Vehicle Driver to any kind of Ground Vehicle to begin with, BUT, once assigned to one kind of vehicle (say, a tank) he will only be able to drive or crew that kind of vehicle in the position that he did (like Tank Gunner).

Pilot (air) - a man trained to pilot air units, atmospheric ones or low orbit-atmospheric ones such as dropships. In the same way as a Vehicle Driver, once assigned the Pilot will permanently adopt the role that he is given. Cannot pilot space vehicles save for low orbit to atmospheric transit ones.

Pilot/Crewman (space) - a man trained to Pilot or Crew a non-atmospheric Spacecraft such as a Space Fighter or a Freighter. Once assigned to a Fighter or Bomber, he will only be able to Pilot that kind of Spacecraft. However, if assigned to a Ship such as a Freighter, he will be able to work on any other Ship provided that he is carrying out the same role as before in its Crew (such as Engineer or Gunner).

Signaller - a 'Signaller' is a normal soldier also trained in the duties of Communications. Basic Com Units are available and necesarry, allowing you to instantly contact any member of your Squad, however, these are easily jammed or interfered with by anomolous environmental factors (which you will encounter a lot of), and it is difficult to maintain contact over long distance with them. A Signaller carries a much more powerful Com Unit on his back and is able to contact multiple Squadmen, orbiting Ships or even other planets in the system with ease. He can also attempt to jam enemy Coms and 'listen in' on their frequencies. Signaller carries regular weaponry in addition to his bulky radio kit. The radio kit comes free, purchase is not necessarry although there may be better equipment on the market.

Intelligence - Intelligence, while not a strictly necessary addition to your Squad, will make your life a lot easier. The Intelligence Officer possesses an extensive knowledge of current affairs, military strengths, military history and general goings-on of the Galaxy that give hima keen strategic mind with which to advise you. The Intelligence Officer is also very good and finding out information, and will be able to present you with a detailed briefing before each mission. A non-combatant.

Medic - the Medic is a non-combatant who has to be equipped with medical equipment in order to perform his duties. A team is generally more effective but one will suffice for small Companies. The Medic, while unarmed, is able to patch up a wide variety of wounds, the degree of wound which he is able to patch up depending on his equipment and level of training. The best Medics are miracle workers, the worst really more of an incentive to stay un-wounded.

Vehicle Officer - if you have a substantial number of vehicles, it will become hard for an Officer trained to lead Infantry to co-ordinate them successfully. This is where the Vehicle Officer comes in. In addition to operating as a normal Vehicle Crewman he is also capable of co-ordinating and commanding around ten other Vehicles on the battlefield, which do not have to be of the same variety that he himself is a Creman of.

Space Naval Officer - can be assigned to both Capitol Ships (by definition, any Ship larger than a Patrol Fighter in size) or to Fighter Squadrons. On Capitol Ships the SNO will assume command of the vessel. If the Ship is Corvette or above in size it is best to have 2 or more Officers with different tasks assigned to them. If assigned to a Fighter Squadron, the Officer will become Squadron Leader. Generally speaking, an Officer will be capable of commanding 10 Fighter-Classes at a time. Capitol Ship Officers are non-combatants, but Squadron Leaders double up as Fighter Pilots. However, a SNO on a Capitol Ship is capable of organising roughly four Fighters efficiently from his post.

Engineer - the Engineer is a man trained in the behind-the-scenes maintenance tasks that are vital to any mechanized military force. The Engineer is capable of limited computer-related tasks, but moreover of maintaining vehicles. An Engineer's skills are universal and one is capable of applying his expertise to ground, air and space vehicles. Engineers can carry Regular armaments in addition to their Engineering equipment.

Techinician - the Technician differs from the Engineer in that his primary task is based around computers, which are now an integral part of the battlefield. As well as being able to hack enemy systems, with the right equipment and high enough skill, he is also capable of strengthening your own systems or developing them further. When an Engineer and a Technician are used in tandem they can make a very effective team, capable of creating new equipment for you, albeit for a price. Technicians can carry Regular armements.

Quartermaster - a Quartermaster has been trained in the art of logistics, the system of supplies that are the life-blood of any military force. The Quartermaster is an expert at scrounging, particularly when fielded from Military grades of training, and is able to come across equipment of all varieties for a lower price than normal. He will also ensure that your men will never go hungry for lack of food, and serves as a moral-raiser for his ability to come by things that your men require but you yourself do not buy (such as cigarettes or pleasure-drugs). Quartermasters can fulfill a the same combat roles as a Regular during battle.

Marine - a particular unit of specially-trained soldiers present within all well-eqipped militaries are the Marines. Marines are trained to be adept at fighting both in space and on land. They are expert at Ship-to-Ship fighting and performing Strike Drops onto planets from orbit. Marines are, however, expensive and require specialised equipment to reach their full potential.

Science - not normally included in militaries as most planets will be able to hire civilian scientists for the infrequent instances when their expertise is required. However, operating on the unknown fringe as you are, a scientist could come in handy. Able to identify and list the effects of any local anomolies that you might come across, the Scientist is also capable of performing Medic duties (albeit with nowhere near the skill of a normal Medic) and Engineer/Technician abilities (again with nowhere near the skill). His main use to you is that he is able, especially with a Technician and an Engineer, to come up with new, specialised equipment to suit your needs.

Skirmisher - the Skirmisher specialises in scouting ahead of your main force and establishing vanguard patrols. Skirmishers are adept and staying unseen. For optimum effectiveness they should be equipped with light armour and weaponry. Skirmishers are also good at identifying enemy forces from a distance, enabling them to aid Intelligence Officers, and at making planetary drops. Skirmishers make excellent snipers when equipped with the appropriate equioment, and given a little experience, and are also useful as artillery spotters.

Artillery Gunner - Artillery is still a vital part of any military force, though it is not necessarry for small Mecenary Companies. It is, however, highly advisable to include at least some light artillery (such as mortars) in any force of over a hundred men in size. Artillery Gunners are the soldiers that man such artillery. They can each carry a normal weapon each (though this may encomber them when moving with their equipment), but will not stand against Regular troops in sustained combat.

(NB: Although there's a lot there already, I have the nagging feeling at the back of my head that I've left a few potential goodies out. Feel free to make suggestions)

Having selected the Grade of Training and Class of your particular soldier, you then figure out how much you must pay initially as his 'hiring cost'. You work this out by adding his Grade of Training by his Class. The prices are listed below:

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Weaponry and Equipment
Ammunition and amenities are not going to be a problem for you. So long as you have a 'Resupply Post' (you don't buy these, there either will or will not be an easily accessible one based on the mission scenario and a few other factors), your men will count as being fed, watered and provided with ammunition and suchlike. They do not require wages, mainly as this would be too difficult for me to figure out. However, there are situations when food and ammunition will become an issue, mainly in Orbital Blockade or Siege-type missions. In this instance, a Quartermaster will come into his own and use scrounging abilities to secure extra supplies for you.

With ammunition, supplies and such not being an issue, you can instead concentrate purely on equipment and weaponry. As a soldier's Class determines whether or not he is able to use certain kinds of weaponry, the equipment available to each class is listed underneath a heading of that Class' name.

Lastly, there are Grades of Equipment. This allows you to field a mass of poorly-armed conscripts in the vein of World War I Russia, or a small Corps of excellently-equipped troops. There are five Grades of Equipment. To find the price of a certain piece of equipment at a particular Grade, simply take the Grade and multiply it by the equipment's default cost.

As you can see, there is a massive different in price. However, you neglect spending on equipment at your own cost, and it is ill-advised to cut back by too much.

Armour
Light Battle Armour (comprised of a helmet, a vest and several plates made from a metallic alloy. Will provide protection against spent bullets, ricochets, shrapnel and light weapon fire. Does not hinder movement. Is not succeptible to EMP. Is not enclosed) - 200 Credits
Med. Battle Armour (comprised of a helmet and mask, a heavy vest and enough plates to cover the thighs, shins, shoulders and upper arms from front-angle fire. Heavier than the Light Armour, and quite often able to deflect light weapons fire. Slight movement penalty. Is not succeptible to EMP, is not enclosed but does provide the user with an enclosed helmet + gas mask) - 400 Credits
Heavy Battle Armour(comprised of a helmet and mask, a chest and back plate, enough plates to cover the thighs, shins, shoulders and upper arms from front and rear-angle fire. Heavy, and able to resist fire from both light projectile weaponry and light energy weaponry. Movement penalty to the wearer, is not succeptible to EMP, is not enclosed but provides the user with an enclosed helmet + breathing aparatus) - 600 Credits

Light Power Armour (comprised of a fully-enclosed, self-powered suit of armour with its own air supply. Resistant to light weapons fire, provides no hindrance to movement. Is succeptible to EMP without the EMP Resist Upgrade. Provides a very slight penalty to movement. Aids the accuracy and strength of the wearer) - 1000 Credits
Medium Power Armour (comprised of a fully-enclosed, self-powered suit of armour with its own air supply. Heavier than the Light Power Armour, resistant to light weapons fire of both projectile and energy weapons and medium weapons fire from projectile weapons. Aids the accuracy and strength of the user, also has a limited supply of medical drugs present. Penalty to movement) - 1400 Credits
Heavy Power Armour (fully-enclosed, self-powered. Increases strength and accuracy, has its own air supply. Very heavy in nature, is able to take a full-on hit from a Tripod Laser Cannon without breach, though such a hit will weaken the armour's integrity. Has a penalty to movement slightly lessened by the bonus to strength. However, regardless of speed, it is difficult to conceal yourself in a Heavy Power Armour suit. Comes with medical drugs included) - 2000 Credits

Blend Armour (Medium Battle Armour with a miniaturised stealth device included. This enables the Blend Armour to render the wearer - if not invisible - then at least very difficult to see without the aid of specialised optic sensor equipment. Predator-style, when moving the image on the other side of the wearer will be distorted by the movement, making the wearer easier to see. The device is able to block out heat, remaining invisible to thermal imaging, but is still visible to other forms of detection) - 2000 Credits
Jumpjet Armour (Medium Power Armour, specially designed to allow for 'Orbital Drops'. A heavily heat-resistant coating along with several jumpjet thrusters positioned on the armour allows the wearer to descend safely through the atmosphere of most planets from orbit. The jumpjets also allow the wearer to jump anything up to 20 stories in a single bound, or hover two feet above ground for a short amount of time. Requires a lot of maintenance, but can be well worth it) - 2500 C

Performance Enhancer Suit (provides protection equivelant to that of Light Battle Armour. The Performance Enhancer Suit is cybernetically wired and desired to optimise the performance of special forces troops. It cannot be used in conjunction with other kinds of armour, but it greatly increases speed, strength, agility, accuracy and mental capabilities, as well as being fully-enclosed and resistant to gas. It is skin-tight and allows for silent movement, but has no Cloaking Device. It also has multiple visor modes, a HUD tactical display for all visor modes, and a target dracking device with the HUD that links to the cybernetic arm wires to aid targetting. Very expensive, high maintenance) - 4000 Credits

Weaponry

Pistols (The only type of weaponry than can be equipped by non-combatants)

Wellard Arms 'Jackal' Pistol - 100 C
Semi-automatic, medium strength and power but highly accurate. With a silencer it can be a very useful stealth weapon. It will have trouble penetrating most armour.

Wellard Arms 'Wolf' Pistol - 200 C
A more powerful pistol capable of firing semi-automatic or full-automatic, with a small clip of 20 rounds. Unlikely to cause much damage to armour at anything other than point-blank range, it is more of a surpression weapon.

Halberman Mk III Heavy Pistol - 600 C
The best conventional pistol on the market fires high-calibre slugs which are accurate at up to medium range and can punch through most armour. The weapon is hardly subtle, though, and the recoil is ferocious. Clip of sizteen rounds, semi-automatic.

Yakachi MLP 2040 - 1200 C
The only laser pistol currently available is highly accurate (naturally), and will cause medium damage at any range. It does not require reloading

(which is an advantage in close quarters) and has no recoil. This said, its unnerving accuracy can be a disadvantage as it requires a 100% full-on aim to hit.

Rifles/Regular Weaponry
Browning .22 Projectile Rifle - 100 C
A relic of Browning's last days of existence, the Browning .22 Projectile Rifle is by now obsolete. Firing simple, jacketed rifle bullets the Browning .22 is a high powered military issue rifle from the early 21st Century. It will be hard put to penetrate even Medium modern armour but is also very cheap. It is accurate at short and medium range, and whilst reliable and low-maintenance it is of very little use against modern weaponry.

Wellard Arms High Velocity Projectile Rifle - 250 C
The Wellard Arms HVPR Mk I is one of few modern projectile rifle weapons widely used in today's galaxy. Whilst being somewhat low powered when compared to EAC, laser, gauss and other modern weapon forms, projectile rifles are still very accurate, reliable and low maintenance. The WA HVPR has bolt action, semi-automatic and full-automatic modes. Magasine of 35 high calibre armour-piercing bullets. When combined with a scope accessory, it can be used for middle distance sniping with high performance.

Wellard Arms High Velocity Assault Rifle - 300 C
The assault rifle version of the WA HVPR is, like all assault rifles, a compact gun that packs a powerful punch at close range but is too innaccurate for use ar long distance. It uses very high calibre bullets, armour piercing, but has a smaller magasine than the HVPR as a result, with only 20 bullets per clip.

Halberman Armour Penetration Rifle - 1000 C
The Halberman APR is a new weapon on the market and has served as a reminder to all militant organisations that the projectile rifle is far from dead. The Halberman APR is bolt action with magasine of just 5 bullets, however, each of these specially-manufactured bullets is proppelled from the gun at such a velocity and rotation rate that they can pierce all but the heaviest of armour with ease. In addition to this, they are accurate (as with all rifle weapons) at long range. However, the bolt action reload is slow, and replacing spent magasines ever more so. The Halberman APR is thus best used as a medium-long range sniper rifle, and is too expensive to serve as standard issue.

Wellard Arms EAC Rifle - 800 C
The EAC Rifle has been touted as the natural successor to the projectile rifle. EAC stands for Explosive Ammunition Casing, in essence an explosive bullet, which allows the EAC Rifle to greatly increase its damage whilst retaining the reliability and high accuracy of projectile rifles. This Wellard Arms model, at present the only on the market, also has good armour-penetration capability.

Wellard Arms SR-4J 'Foxhunter' Rifle - 1000 C
Projectile rifle weaponry still holds sway over the vast majority of snipers, and the Wellard Arms SR-4J Rifle is a good example as to why. Coming complete with scope and optional silencer, this rifle is deadly accurate at ranges of up to 3 km, earning it the endearing name of 'Foxhunter' from those that use it. In addition to this, the high velocity armour-piercing bullets certainly pack a punch. However, the weapon requires a great deal of maintenance in order to maintain its high standards.

Halberman Schlagholz Mark V Sniper Rifle - 850 C
The Schlagholz Mark V is a slightly more affordable alternative to the Wellard Arms SR-4J. Coming complete with a scope and compatible with a silencer, the Schlagholz Mark V is accurate at up to 2 km and is not bolt action, enabling for quick firing. However, clips of 10 bullets will be expended quickly by a trigger-happy sniper. The complicated firing system necessary for this semi-automatic fire also requires a great deal of maintenance.

Halberman Schlagholz Mark III Sniper Rifle - 600 C
Although by now obsolete, the Schalgholz Mark III still has its supporters and is still available as a cheaper version of its younger brother, the Mark V. The Mark III is accurate at 1.5 km, and comes with a scope. It is not compatible with silencers. It has a clip of 10 bullets, like the Mark V, but they are not as adept at penetrating heavy armour.

Yakachi AS-24 Laser Rifle - 500 C
The Yakachi AS-24 was the first infantry laser weapon to achieve widespread popularity on the small arms market. Affordable, if not cheap, but also high performance and, at the time, cutting-edge. Now, however, the AS-24 is somewhat outdated, mainly due to the presence of laser-deflecting armour coatings.

Wellard Arms Standard Laser Rifle - 750 C
The Wellard Arms SLR is classed as a medium weapon. It takes a few hits to penetrate heavy armour, but at the same time it isn't large enough in size to be cumbersome. Accurate and reasonably high-performance, the Wellard Arms SLR doesn't require a great deal of maintenance and forms the mainstay of armaments for the planetary militia of medium-income worlds.

Yakachi AS-140 Laser Rifle - 1200 C
The latest medium laser rifle on the market is the Yakachi AS-140. It fires in short beams rather than bolts, which adds to its penetration power. It is accurate at long range and can punch through heavy armour in a couple of shots. Trained marksmen can also use it to take down aircraft, though this is difficult. As the two second beam leaves the man firing the weapon in the open for longer, the AS-140 can be switched to a normal bolt configuration.

Hernston-Smith Heavy 990 - 1200 C
The Hernston Smith is a bulky laser rifle that packs a serious punch but is operable by a lone man. It can frequently penetrate heavy armour in one shot, but had a range markedly less that that of the Yakachi AS-140. It is also highly effective against light vehicles. Its effective range is also reasonably short due to the issues of accuracy, however, it is still a formidable weapon.

Halberman Rapid Fire Portable Laser Cannon - 1400 C
An expensive but brutally effective piece of kit. The Halberman Rapid Fire Portable Laser Cannon is best described as a machine gun laser weapon. It fires at a rate of no less than five bolts per second, with each bolt being capable of punching through medium armour, and is deadly accurate even at medium-long range. This said, it needs a great deal of maintenance.

Browning Automatic Projectile Shotgun - 150 C
Shotguns are now long obsolete, courtesy of the new Gauss Rifle weaponry, but the Browning Automatic Shotgun remains used by militaries with very limited budgets. The pellets are easily stopped by medium armour, and frequently by light, but this is countered by the Browning Automatic's ablity to spew out 10 cartridges in quick succession, and the impact will still do some damage. Long reload time.

Yakachi CR-X Gauss Gun - 500 C
Yakachi once again led the field with the first ever gauss gun design. Then revolutionary, the gauss gun replaced conventional, jacketed rifle bullets with simple metal rods, and replaced the conventional system of propulsion with a powerful electromagnet. The result is a metal slug capable of penetrating heavy armour at close range with relative ease, and providing one hell of an impact without penetration. However, at anything beyond close range gauss weapons are limited by their innacuracy. They are the natural successors of projectile shotguns in terms of use.

Halberman Spread Gauss Gun - 1000 C
The Halberman Spread Gauss Gun is a new variation of the conventional gauss gun. Instead of having a single slug designed for penetration, the Spread utilises a pack of smaller rods which, while less likely to penetrate, increase the impact manyfold. They are useful as surpression weapons or for taking armoured captives - albeit slightly worse for wear ones.

Hernston Smith Md Gauss Gun Mk VII - 1200 C
The Hernston Smith Md Gauss Gun is leaning to the heavy side of medium, true to Hernston Smith's form, but is nonetheless a quality weapon. Using heavy slugs of a larger than usual mass and calibre, the HS Md Gauss Gun can punch through the heaviest armour nine times out of ten at close range. However, at range the Hernston-Smith trait of innacuracy runs true. Nonetheless, it is still a formidable weapon, if one that requires a good deal of maintenance.

Hernston Smith Anti Armour Gauss Gun - 2000 C
A new cast of weapon that is designed specifically for use by infantry against light armour. Firing heavy metal slugs capable of penetrating the armour of most light tanks at short range, the Hernston Smith Anti Armour Gauss Gun is designed to provide the regular infantrymen with the firewpoer capable to keep light vehicles off their backs. Used to kill off the crew of a vehicle rather than destroy it completely, as many a s a dozen shots may be needed before the crew of a tank have been killed. It will not cause an explosion. It does require a great deal of maintenance and is a cumbersome weapon to carry. It is very innacurrate at long range.

Hernston Smith Suppression Gauss Gun - 1800 C
With a price tag slightly lower than that of the Hernston Smith Anti Armour Gauss Gun, but not by much, the Hernston Smith Suppression Gauss Gun is again designed primarily for urban warfare. It is the only gauss gun capable of automatic fire, producing one small calibre (for gauss gun ammunition) slug every second. It is designed to penetrate light cover and kill those sheltering bhind it, but also to keep the heads of those behind thick enough cover down. It is far too innacurrate for use at long range and requires a good deal of maintenance. Will generally penetrate Medium/Heavy Armour 9/10 times at close range.

Heavy Weapons (Require Heavy Weapons soldier to operate)
Wellard Arms M-551 Projectile Machine Gun - 1000 C
The old faithful of projectile machine guns, the Wellard Arms M-551 is old, but in its time it was cutting edge, the first of a new breed of machine guns. The weapon once again required two men to carry and operate it, being too heavy for one man to move on his own with the extensive supply of ammunition required to operate the weapon for any sustained amount of time. The M-155 suffers from accuracy problems but is relatively low maintenance. Its high calibre bullets pack serious impact but will rarely penetrate anything beyond Medium Armour.

Wellard Arms M-1060 Projectile Machine Gun - 1800 C
Accurate, high velocity, high calibre harbinger o' death that strikes fear in the hearts of any but the most heavily armoured of infantrymen. That said, it does have reliability issues, and has been liable to jam in rather unfortunate situations, unless it is lathered with an absurdly high level of maintenance and care.

Yakachi RFM-224 Type A Lightweight Minigun - 3000 C
The latest and best heavy machine gun on the market is the Yakachi RFM-224 Type A, which, in addition to being fitted with some of the most sophisticated targetting equipment in existence, can be carried by a single man due to its lightweight nature. It is capable of spitting out 40 rounds a second on the top setting, each one travelling at high velocity and capable of penetrating medium armour like a knife through butter. The sheer number of bullets that the gun can spew out will wear down heavy armour witin seconds of sustained fire. This said, the weapon is very sophisticated, requiring a good deal of maintenance and also extensive (Grade 3 or greater) training in order to operate the complex targetting system. The weapon also eats ammunition, and this can become a severe setback in situations where supply issues become compounded.

Halberman Heavy Infantry Machine Gun Mk I - 3000 C
The only viable rival to the Yakachi RFM-224 Type A is the Halberman HIMG Mk I. Unlike the Yakachi version, the Halberman HIMG Mk I requires two men to operate it in battle and needs to be rested on a tripod for accurate firing. However, in some respects it does outperform the Type A, with roughly rhe same rate of fire and degree of accuracy, but requiring less maintenance and generally being more reliable. It is also generally easier to operate. This said, when the targetting softaware of the Type A comes into play, the Mk I is less accurate, and in addition to this the bullets travel at lower velocity and have a lower armour penetration value. Suffers from the same ammunition problems as the Type A.

Hernston Smith Heavy Anti Tank Rifle - 2800 C
The re-emergence of anti tank rifles is a rather recent threat to armour formations, and is exclusively pioneered by Hernston Smith. The HS Anti Tank Rifle, the first and only design on the market at the current time, can punch through all but the heaviest of tank armour with devastating effect on the crew inside - needless to say it also slices through infantry armour with ease. This said, the recoil has been known to break the shoulders of poorly-trained men, and the weapon does require a good deal of experience before it becomes truly efficient. However, it is nonetheless a cheap and effective tool against most armoured vehicles. It can be operated by one soldier, but two greatly improves its efficiently. Uses clips of six specially-designed bullets, it can fire on every two seconds.

Yakachi HAS-990 Heavy Laser Cannon - 4000 C
The Yakachi HAS-990 was the first laser-based weapon to fit into the heavy weaponry category, operated with the aid of a portable tripod by two men. Laser weaponry is not as effective against heavily armoured vehicles as other varieties but does have several advantages, including a higher rate of fire than most heavy weapons and a much greater ammo supply. The HAS-990 is, therefore, extremely useful against light and medium vehicles, and has some use against slow-moving heavy aircraft, though only with experienced operators. It fires a heavy and high-energy laser bolt, at a rate of roughly one every three seconds. It can punch through infantry armour with decent efficiency, but due to its reasonably slow rate of fire is best used against armoured vehicles.

Yakachi HAS-2000 Heavy Beam Laser Cannon - 5000 C
The Yalachi HAS-2000 solves the lack of firepower presented by its predescessor, the HAS-990, very well. With the power of the weapon having been increased, in addition to the firing configuration having been changed from a bolt form to a beam form, the HAS-2000 can successfully penetrate the armour of heavy tanks after a few seconds of sustained fire. The length of time that the beam is fired for varies depending on how long the trigger is depressed, but anything over five seconds of continuous fire can overheat and damage the weapon. Still, the beam can be used to 'hose down' infantry with devastating effect. Operated by two men, the HAS-2000 is a formidable weapon, but has some technical faults that have not quite been ironed out yet.

Yakachi IAS-2200 Gatling Laser Cannon - 5000 C
One of the newest weapons to have been unveiled by Yakachi is the IAS-2200, which once again pioneers a new field of weaponey. The IAS-2200 is designed for use again infantry, firing roughly two bolts a second, each of which is capable of penetrating Medium Powered Armour with little difficulty, and Heavy Powered Armour with two or three hits. In addition to this, the IAS is well-suited to use against light vehicles and slow-moving aircraft. The IAS-2200 has a reasonably long range and a large ammo supply, but is liable to overheat if fired for a sustained amount of time, and should be fired in bursts. It is also a rather complex weapon, and having a Technician attached to your formation is highly advisable.

Halberman AGL Mk I - 3000 C
A relatively low cost yet versatile assault weapon, the AGL Mk I is a grenade launcher capable of firing six grenads of varying type in quick succession - usually available are high explosive, smoke, flashbang and EMP pulse. It also has a reasonably long range and a good rate of accuracy - in the right hands. Useful as a surpressive weapon or for urban warfare, it makes a good infantry support heavy weapon.

Hernston Smith RPG Launcher - 3000 C
Hernston Smith's third anti-tank weapon is comparable to the Halberman AGL in terms of use and performance. It takes longer ro reload than the Halberman AGL, and can have only one rocket proppelled grenade loaded at a time.. However, it is far more adept at penetrating vehicle armour and can be a menace ot tanks when used from the flanks or rear. Also has some use against slow-moving aircraft, not as good as the AGL for anti infantry purposes.

Halberman AGL Mk II - 4500 C
The latest AGL model, the Mk II is a vast improvement over its predescessor. With a drum of eight grenades of varying types at a rate of two per second, it is in effect mobile, handheld, shortrange artillery and is capable of decimating buildings and infantry alike. That said, it isn't a great weapon for penetrating heavy armoured vehicles - though lightly armoured vehicles are shredded to pieces by the hail of high explosive grenades that the AGL Mk II lays down. Whilst deadly at short range, the AGL Mk II is notably innacurate at medium and long range.

Halberman IMML Mk I - 7000 C
The Halberman IMML (Infantry Mobile Missile Launcher) Mk I was released onto the weapons market just a week ago, and instantly became the most-feared infantry anti tank weapon in existence. With three missiles held within a single 'ammunition pod' that can all be fired within six seconds and are all designed to pierce tank armour, the IMML Mk I is capable of reducing whole armour companies to twisted piles of scrap metal in seconds in sufficient numbers. With five seconds of consistent, unbroken line of sight with the target the IMML can also lock on and fire all three missiles at once, wherupon each eill home in on the target, making it capable of destroying gorund attack aircraft. Whilst it is a lethal weapon and a worhty addition to any Mercenary Company, the IMML Mk I requires a good deal of maintenance and is extremely expensive, even by heavy weapon standards. It requires two men to operate.

Hernston Smith Heavy Flamethrower - 2500 C
Technically not a heavy weapon, as it is carried by a single man, but given its nature and purpose it is difficult to classify it as a normal weapon. As warfare began to be fought over increasingly distant range over the past century, it looked like the days of the flamethrower were over. However, with tha advent of starships and battles fought in their narrow, confined corridors and those of the gigantic super-buildings as seen on some of the colonies built on inhospitable worlds, the flamethrower came into its own. In addition to excelling in corridor combat situations, the Hernston Smith Heavy Flamethrower is also excellent in urban warfare for its ability to clear out buildings of enemy units. It is also useful against enemy fortifications (pillboxes, trenches, bunkers, etc). This said, in open field engagements it is cumbersome and too short-ranged to be effective. It also requires a lot of maintenance.

Equipment
Under this heading comes pretty much anything that infantry can equip that does not come under the heading of 'Weaponry' or 'Armour'.

Coms Devices (Some need a Signaller, some do not)
Wymen Personal Communicator - 100 C
Pretty much a must-have. The Wymen Personal Communicator allows two-way traffic between a soldier equipped with it and any other coms device within the range area - which at 10 kilometres is more than sufficient for most purposes. It is, however, succeptible to interference by coms jamming equipment, and cannot be used to communicate with Starships in orbit. Consists of an earpiece and miniaturised microphone that easily clips onto a collar, or failing that can simply be secured to the face via its adhesive underside.

Wymen Personal Communicator Encryptor Chip - 100 C
An add-on for the Wymen Personal Communicator, the Encryptor Chip can be programmed with three full encrypted codes, the only limit on the complexity of these codes being the skill of the man that programs them. Most experienced soldiers know a few good codes, but the best will always come from a Technician, a Signaller or an Engineer. Once three codes have been input, the Personal Communicator can be set by means of a switch to automatically encode outbound coms traffic in the code of your choosing and automatically decipher incoming coms traffic in the same way.

Wymen Encryptor Device - 200 C
Like the Encryptor Chip except designed for use in larger, more advanced coms systems such as Com Satchels or Vehicle Coms.

Yakachi Advanced Coms Satchel - 600 C
A simple backpack containing some very advanced communications equipment. Capable of communication with any coms unit within a 200 kilometre radius and very difficult to disrupt or listen in on, it can also be used for realiable two-way traffic with Starships in orbit. In the hands of a Signaller, it can also be used to listen in on or disrupt enemy communications.

Yakachi Coms Disruptor Unit - 1000 C
An expensive but extremely useful piece of kit from the enterprising Yakachi Military Supplies Corporation that, when equipped by a Technician or Signaller, can be used to disrupt even advanced coms units and, depending on the skill of the user, possibly be used to intercept (and automatically decode) enemy transmissions.

Wymen Advanced Personal Communicator - 500 C
It costs the bomb for something that every man in your Company needs to equip for maximum effectiveness, but it is also a vast improvement over the standard Personal Communicator. Traffic between it and another unit is subject to intereference, but not eavesdropping, and traffic cannot be detected by the enemy. Thus, it is important if you wish to take the stealthy approach whilst retaining the ability to communicate.

Targetting Aids
Halberman Presicion Scope - 100 C
Not essential, but certainly useful, addition to accurate weapons such as laser rifles or projectile rifles. It in effect boosts the accuracy of the soldier equipping it over medium and long range. Note that it will not work with innacurrate weapons such as gauss guns or heavy machine guns. Note also that sniper rifles come with scopes included, and that the range of this scope cannot be altered.

Yakachi Laser Sight - 200 C
By use of a small, intense laser that slots into the top of your gun barrel, the Yakachi Laser Sight enables accuracy at short, medium and (if a scope is also equipped) long range to be increased by a small red dot appearing at the spot where the bullet from the gun will hit. Naturally, it is not suitable for use with low or even medium accuracy weaponry. It also can have the rather undesirable side effect of alerting your target to your presence...

Halberman Muzzle Surpressor - 250 C
A small cylinder that screws on to the end of a projectile rifle or projectile sniper rifle, wherupon it will muffle the sound of any shot fired, and completely rid you of irritating muzzle flash. Useful for remaining unseen and undetected. Unfortunatly, it is not suitable for any other kind of weapon.

Yakachi Thermal Indicator - 400 C
Moderately expensive, but very useful for nightfighting, the Yakachi Thermal Indicator consists of a small screen and reciever that adhede to the topside of one's firearm and automatically display any heat sources within a certain range on the screen as small dots. Thus, even with thermal imaging goggles, it is useful as it will indicate the presence of enemy troops lying in wait or ambush. Unfortunatly, it is succeptible to malfunction in warm climates (such as desert planets) and can be easily fooled by heatpack countermeasures. Can also reveal troops wearing Blend Suits.

Sensor and Sensor Disruption
Flare - 20 C, five-use
Pack of five flares to be fired from mortars or artillery. Once in the air they light up the battleifeld using chemical trickery and descend slowly to the ground. This most basic of nightfighting technology is certainly not the best, and in the monochrome light that the flare provides, the chance of fragicide increases greatly.

Sensor Flare - 200 C, five-use
Really a kind of specialised ammunition designed for use by mortars or artillery guns. A sensor probe equipped with a parachute that, once launched, will beam data back ot a waiting Technician who will promptly decode it and give you additiona information on the enemy. Come in packs of five bombs/shells. The enemy can shoot them down if alerted to their presence. A well-trained Technician can even send data from the flare directly to your troops in the field...

Sensor-Block Flare - 240 C, five-use
As above, except used to disrupt the enemy's sensor readings. Comes in packs of five bombs/shells. Does not require a Technician for use.

Wymen Basic Sensor Unit - 400 C
A basic sensor module that can be attached to a Technician's computer to provide you with sensor information. Particularly effective when coupled with a satellite deployed from orbit. In the most inexperienced hands the unit can be used to identify and track incoming aircraft or starships in low orbit. In trained hands it can be used as fire control for artillery and to call in orbital strikes from above.

Wymen Advanced Sensor Unit - 800 C
An upgrade worth the money, the Wymen Advanced Sensor Unit comes free with AG 'Sensor Bouys' which can be deployed to hover 500 metres above the ground at strategic points and relay sensor data to the unit, all the while being small enough to escape detection from enemy sensors. The drones are one-use only but the unit comes with a supply of 20 absolutely free. Additional refills can be purchased. The drones contain all the equipment necessary to screen in a variety of different ways. The Wyman Advanced Sensor Unit is virtually immune to interference and is without a doubt the best infantry sensor unit available.

Prox Detector Net - 400 C, 10-use
Consists of a number of small sensor probes which can be stuck to walls or buried in the ground. They then alert a central console (in the form of a small datapad that can be used by any form of personnel) to any movement within their range (twenty metre radius). The movement won't be anything as slight as leaves stirring, but civilians, friendlies and animals setting the alarms off are perfectly possible.

Sensor Disruptor Beacon - 1000 C
Basic sensor disruptor beacon. Multiple-use, it is deployed into the ground wherupon it begins putting out various signals designed to disrupt sensor equipment. On command it will undeploy. Does not require a Technician to operate.

Engineering Equipment (Engineers only)
Basic Tool Kit - 100 C
A basic pack containing pliers, wrench, etc as well as some more high-tech equipment like conductive microfoam for patching up circuits. Equipped with such a kit, an Engineer can perform basic maintenance and mechanical tasks.

Basic Explosives Kit - 200 C
Contains various explosive charges, detonators, etc. With it an Engineer is fully equipped to demolish bridges, buildings, rig bases, etc, as well as manufacture home-made explosives for the troops, designed for specific uses such as blowing up tank tracks. Includes a few proximity mines for good measure. It can be a dangerous tool in untrained hands...

Advanced Tool Kit - 800 C
Includes more high-tech equipment such as tools for specialised jobs like calibrating engines, and basic computers designed to aid diagnosis of vehicular/mechanical problems. Also includes tools needed for maintenance work on high-technology weaponry and equipment like lasers. With it, an Engineer is more-or-less fully equipped for the maintenance/repair role.

Advanced Explosive Kit - 1000 C
Shaped penetration charges, incendiary charges, biochemical explosives, it's all here. Buy this for one of your Engineers and he will be a very happy man indeed. He will also be a very dangerous man to you as well as the enemy if he is unqualified. The Advanced Explosives Kit includes a fair few mines.

Engineering Drone - 5000 C
Expensive, and requires a Technician in addition to an Engineer to operate it. The Engineering Drone is equipped with basic AI and a variety of advanced scanning equipment that allow it to quickly identify the most minute faults in vehicles and equipment, and extremely precise weaponry with which to fix the faults in question. The AI of an Engineering Drone is, however, decidedly imperfect, and they have been known to malfunction and miss obvious faults. As such they should be looked upon as supplements to an Engineer's skills rather than Engineers themselves.

Explosives Defusal Kit - 1000 C
Expensive, but well worth the cost. The Explosives Defusal Kit provides the Engineer that equips it with presicion tools that greatly increase his chances of safely diffusing mines and explosives (safely being in a way that doesn't result in explosion).

Technician Equipment (Technicians only)
Civilian Datapad - 200 C
Practically every civilian has one of these. They allow instant access to civilian information networks (as long as you're not in the absolute frontier), and the interface systems allow experienced programmers (i.e, Technicians) to use the Datapad to effect various computer systems (i.e, hack them to your advantage). The Civilian Datapad is not designed for military use, it is easy to detect and easy to block. You're really better off getting a more expensive tool for your Technician. Is adequate for use on your own equipment (for stuff like programming drones).

Military Datapad - 600 C
The price is hiked up, but then so is its effectiveness. The Military Datapad is designed specifically for use by technicians in the field. It is small and easily-concealed, but contains a number of facilities for constructing viruses, eliminating viruses, hacking terminals and systems and even bugging coms lines. In addition to this it is adequate for the purpose of programming/protecting your own equipment. Whilst your Technician is not at his full potential with this tool, he is still sufficiently equipped to be useful to you.

Civilian Laptop - 2400 C
More expensive and bulky than a Datapad, but well worth it. Whilst a Datapad's functions are pre-set, the Technician can organise his own Laptop to his own needs. This makes its effectiveness as a weapon dependent on the training of the Technician. In a well-trained Technician's hands, it is a very dangerous weapon indeed, exceded only by a Military Laptop for usefulness...

Military Laptop - 6000 C
Highly expensive, highly effective. An immensely powerful computer contained within a very easily-carried design, and with all the necessarry facilities to cause a lot of trouble to the enemy included, as well as a lot more potential that can be unlocked by a suitably skilled Technician. With it, your Technician is equipped to maximum potential, and will be able to cause as much damage as he could possibly hope to cause.

Multi-Purpose Drone - 1000 C
The Multi-Purpose Drones is basically a do-it-yourself war robotics kit. It comes with a basic, no-frills drone with an AG Field and an Electromagnet Shaper and various sensor equipment. With a Technician, it can be programmed to perform a variety of tasks (such as spying on the enemy). With an Engineer, it can be stengthened, adjusted, repaired and put to more specific use (like an armoured drone equipped with a gauss gun and rigged with explosives for suiciding into enemy command stuctures). With a Scientist, it can be used to even greater effect (the aforementioned war drone, except cloaked). In the most untalented Techician's hands, it is a useful, if expensive, tool. In the hands of a well-trained Technician, Engineer and Scientist it can be a formidable weapon (if slightly below a design-specific War Drone in terms of battlefield performance).

Mobile Interface Bug - 400 C
You're not always going to find a conveniantly-placed enemy terminal to hack the doorway from. A well-designed base will, indeed, have well-protected control terminals in places that the Technician will have trouble reaching. The Mobile Interface Bug can be clipped to computer wiring (usually the kind that runs through walls), wherupon it will provide a small, one-way access terminal through which a Technician can hack the mainframe. They are easily detected, however, and you won't always be able to find wiring. They're also quite expensive.

Medicial Equipmeny (Medics only)
Basic Surgeon's Tools - 400 C
The basic surgical equipment that a medic needs for operations, along with some basic medical supplies such as morphene and IV drips. Although vital, it alone will not enable your Medic to work at his full potential.

Advanced Surgeron's Tools - 2400 C
An additional set of surgery equipment for your Medic. Includes more advanced, expensive, specialised equipment such as electromagnetic bullet removers and laser scalpels/cauterisers. With it, a well trained Medic will be able to do some very good work indeed. However, in the hands of an untrained Medic these advanced tools can become as much of a danger as they are a help.

Mobile Hospital Unit - 6800 C
Contained within a number of crates are all the bare essentials necessarry to create a basic forward medical post, along with equipment for up to three Medics. With this unit deployed behind your lines at your HQ, your Medics will be able to (over a certain length of time) heal serious wounds like shattered limbs, etc. Whilst Medics are very useful in this position, they are not able to perform duties on the battlefield whilst working in the MHU.

Medical Drone - 8000 C
Highly expensive but highly effective. Medical Drones are the most succesful application yet of robotic drone technology. They can operate with extreme presicion using their advanced medical equipment, and possess a variety of medical scanners to instantly tell Medics what the problem is. They also come equipped with a variety of drugs as well as antibody factories for immunisation against illnesses.

Medicinal Drugs Unit - 1600 C
A complex machine that can manufacture medical drugs from various ingrediants gathered by your Medic. With it, your Medic will be able to concoct painkillers, etc along with (at your request) additional drugs such as performance-boosters. Whilst the MDU can be very useful in the hands of a well-trained Medic, it can be incredibly dangerous to your men in the heands of an untrained Medic. You have been warned.

Biochemical Response Unit - 3200 C
Expensive but worthwhile. The BRU enables your Medic, if he can reach the afflicted soldier quickly enough, to (sometimes) counteract the effect of chemical weaponry. It also comes equipped with the necessarry facilities to combat battle-grade pathogens, but pre-combat innoculation is a better defense against biological weaponry.

Miscellaneous Equipment (Equipment that fits into non of the above categories. Unless otherwise specified it can be used/equipped by any kind of personnel)

Innoculation Kit - 2400 C
Contains a large number of frozen antibodies and pathogens along with the facilities to replicate them for use in innoculations. With humanity being scattered around different worlds, some of which were conditioned from planetfall to eliminate certain diseases, not all of your men will be naturally immune to certain illnesses. Innoculating them protects them from these, in addition to allowing you free passage through quarantine, which will otherwise inconveniance you somewhat. The Innoculation Kit can be used by any kind of soldier with enough intelligence to read and press a few buttons, but a Medic naturally knows more about the process of immunisation than a Marine would.

Strobe Beacons - 200 C for box of twenty
Strobe Beacons are invisible to the naked eye. They send out pulses of harmless radiation which is easily picked up by sensors. They can be used to do things like direct airstrikes onto the enemy and signal for help in situations where communications are poor. Cannot be used to aid vision in any way.

Field Medpack - 200 C
Contains easy-to-use morphene packs, bandages and a few other goodies. With it, an experienced soldier will be able to patch up a wounded comrade enough so that his chances of surviving untill a Medic arrives are improved. Sometimes a soldier will be able to fix himself up in this way. Soldiers equipped with Field Medpacks are not replacements for Medics.

Grenades - 50 C for three grenades
Still useful on the battlefield. The grenades are multi-purpose, with shrapnel capable of inflicting heavy damage on infantry (provided their armour is not too heavy) and enough heat and blast to punch through vehicle armour in some instances. In the hands of an untrained soldier they are as much a danger to yourself as to the enemy.

Personal Transciever - 50 C
A micoscopic chip implanted into the trooper in question that broadcasts a very long range signal repeatedly to a PT Reciever (necessarry purchase for this to work properly), enabling you to locate captured or wounded soldiers. The chip has just about enough intelligence to deactivate its signal if its subject dies.

PT Reciever - 400 C
Recieves signals from Personal Transciever-equipped soldiers. Can be used to locate them if you are cut off.

EMP Shielding - 400 C
Shields the armour of the wearer from the effects of EMP. Also shields weaponry and equipment of the wearer for simplicity's sake.

Artillery
Artillery is generally sorted into two different kinds. Infantry artillery (such as mortars) can be carried by its crewmen from one place to another. Any other artillery must be towed by a vehicle (any kind of vehicle for light artillery, any kind of tracked vehicle for heavy artillery). Unless otherwise specified, any piece of artillery is operated by a three-man team.

Infantry Artillery
Wellard Arms IPA-A60 Infantry Mortar - 1200 C
Mortars, while being over a century old, are still extremely useful additions to an infantry force. Operated by a three man team, they are basic, light artillery designed to support infanty. The IPA-A60 can fire high explosive shells up to distances of a kilometre with ease and a good degree of accuracy, and, although the bombs are small and won't do a lot of damage, they are useful for surpressive fire.

Yakachi IAM-2220 Presicion Infantry Mortar - 2500 C
The Yakachi IAM-2220 represents the laest generation of mortars that are beginning to incorporate more high-technology aspects into their design. Instead of dumbfire bombs, the IAM-2220 fires special laser-guided bombs which can fall on any target within 2 kilometres with accuracy within a centimetre of the targeted point. However in order for the laser guided bombs to be able to home in in this manner, the target must first be 'painted' with a small indication laser on a special frequency that will allow the bombs to lock on to the target. This targetting laser can be mounted onto aircraft, tactical satelites, starships, firearms, etc, but there must be a direct line of sight between the pointer and the target, and this line of site must not be broken, or else the bomb will fall astray.

Yakachi Infantry AAA-500 - 7000 C
One of the most expensive pieces of kit on the market, the Yakachi Infantry Anti-Air Artillery-500 is the first of a new generation of weaponry that has sent shockawaves through the military world. It requires four men to operate, and in addition to the price of the equipment itself this means that the IAAA-500 is a costly addition to any Company. However, capable of firing six small, highly efficient AA missiles into the air which will home in on one to six airborne targets. Such targets can include anything from a Starship in the atmosphere to a large missile. Naturally, it is brutally effective against ground attack aircraft, bombers and fighters - although some bombers and shuttles with PD fire will be partially protected from the missiles. It does, however, take a long time to reload, and is difficult to move quickly.

Halberman 'Kriegswerfer' RIRA Mk IV - 3000 C
Requires three men to operate and carry. Consists of a minigun-like arrangement of six barrels that rotate around a central axle, mounted on a foldable tripod. The Kriegswerfer Rotary Infantry Rocket Artillery Mk IV is infantry rocket artillery, capable of laying down a deadly barrage of surpressive fire over a given area. It doesn't take long to reload, and the rockets have been known to rip through tank armour with ease, though the rockets themselves are rather innacurate and auitable only for surpressive fire rather than offensive fire.

Light Artillery
Hersnton Smith Light Howitzerr - 3000 C
Requires three men to operate and a vehicle to move. Consists of a howitzer mounted on a wheeled chasis. Range of roughly 3 kilometres, powerful shell. Howitzers generally have shorter ranges than normal artillery guns due to their high fire trajectory, however, this same trajectory makes them more useful in certain conditions (hilly or uneven terrain, bombarding urban targets, etc). Howitzers are designed primarily for defensive (surpressive) fire.

Halberman '' Light Howtzer Mark VIII - 4000 C
An improvement of the Hernston Smith Light Howitzer, the Halberman version uses a heavier calibre shell, has a longer range and is more accurate.

Yakachi AAA-200 - 5000 C
The predescessor to the AAA-500 is operated by a three-man team and is consists of two expendable missile launch pods and the appropriate 360 degree turret with advanced sensor and targetting equipment. Must be packed up and placed inside a transport of some kind before it can be moved. Cheaper than the AAA-500, and with larger missiles that pack a bigger punch, but more succeptible to counter-battery and point-defense fire.

Yakachi LAA-1300 - 7000 C
The Yakachi Light Advanced Artillery consists of a light howitzer operated by three men, with some notable differences. Firstly, the light howitzer is mounted on a hover pod that allows it to be pushed effortlessly over any surface. Secondly, the howitzer fires new 'cluster shells' which split up over the target into around three dozen smaller shells which subsequently level anything within fifty metres of the target point. While initially it might seem like the ultimate piece of field artilley, the LAA-1300 has several flaws. Firstly, the hover system has been known to fail and render the gun completely immobile. Secondly, not all of the smaller shells will explode, many fail to go off upon impact and remain there, acting pretty much as land mines for the troops of either side. Thirdly, the LAA-1300 has a shorter range than most light howitzers. Expensive, but highly effective.

Heavy Artillery
Hernston Smith Heavy Field Artillery Gun - 5000 C
Fires very heavy, very large shells over distances of up to 10 kilometres with a great degree of accuracy. When grouped in batteries this creates a devastating barrage that can level buildings and fortifications alike with ease. The Hernston Smith model isn't really accurate enough for very effective counter-battery fire, but can suffice in this purpose nonetheless.

Hernston Smith Super-Heavy Deep Artillery Gun - 8000 C
Extremely expensive, especially when the five men needed to operate it are taken into account, but also very useful. It can hit targets up to 50 kilometres away with excellent accuracy, and is also low maintenance nd reliable, something that it shares with most Hernston Smith weaponry. Designed to take out fortified targets deep wiithin enemy territory. It takes a long time to re-align on a new target and is thus unsuitable fot use against non-static targets or for counter-baterry fire.

Halberman '' Heavy Howitzer Mk V - 6000 C
Three man crew. The Halberman Heavy Howitzer is designed for surpressive fire and use against heavily fortified positions. It fires very large, heavy shells at ranges of up to six kilometres with excellent accuracy. The shells have excellent penetration properties and are useful against subterranean fortifications such as underground bunkers. Also excellent in urban warfare conditions, one or two shells generally being enough to collapse a building.

Halberman '' Medium Field Gun Mk II - 4000 C
A fairly recent model, and the only medium field gun on the market, the Halberman '' is extremely useful for counter-battery fire. It is fairly light in terms of weight for a heavy gun and can be aimed at new targets quickly. Whilst its shells lack punch, they have a long range (34 kilometres) and are ruthlessly accurate. In groups the '' makes a useful offensive fire weapon, but due to its reduced firepower it is not as suitable as other heavy guns for surpressive fire.

Wellard Arms MA-262 Field Gun - 5000 C
Comparable to the Halberman '' Mk II, but slightly less accurate in exchange for increased firepower. Fulfills pretty much the same role as the Halberman ''.

Anti-Air Artillery
AAA Guns can be transported using wheeled vehicles. There are two basic types. An AAA Gun fires high explosive, armour-piercing shells with great accuracy and range, designed to literally blow an aircraft to pieces. This can be done with the naked eye, but it will be virtually inneffective against high-altitude or fast-moving aircraft, and so a Radar Vehicle or sensor feed of some kind is advised to act as fire control. Missile AAA uses missiles (surprisingly) rather than shells. Whilst these are more accurate and harder to evade, missiles can be affected by countermeasures where shells cannot, and they can also be shot down by point defense. Due to most of the process being computer controlled, missiles can be operated more effectively than AAA Guns in poorly-trained hands, though don't expect miracles.

Wellard Arms Medium AAA Gun Model A - 3500 C
The Model A is getting on in years but is, nevertheless, highly effective. Firing AAA Shells at a rate of one per second, it can bring down low-flying ground attack aircraft with ease, though it lacks the range to destroy high-altitude aircraft.

Wellard Arms Medium AAA Gun Model A - 6000 C
Wellard Arms' latest Medium AAA Gun is the Model D, which comes with its own fire control radar system. Whilst this does require an extra gunner to operate, it vastly increases the gun's effectiveness, allowing it to destroy fast aircraft at medium altitude with a good degree of efficiency. This said, the Model D still lacks the range to take out high-altitude aircraft.

Halberman '' Heavy AAA Gun Mk III - 7000 C
Lacks radar fire control but is still highly effective against slow moving, high altitude bombers. Spitting out two heavy AAA shells a second, it can tear bombers to pieces provided they aren't moving too fast. Designed primarily for use against high-altitude aircraft, it is less useful against low-altitude aircraft such as strike fighters.

Yakachi AAAG-4000 - 8500 C
The most expensive AAA Gun available, but also the most deadly. As most of the firing mechanism and aiming is automated, the AAAG-4000 requires only two men to operate it, one to reload and one to select targets. Firing two small but potent shells per second, the AAAG-4000's adaptable mechanism alters the barrel to allow for targetting of aircraft at low, medium and high altitudes. Once a target has been selected by one of the crewmen, the gun will automatically track and modify its aim untill the target is destroyed. The robotic mechanism does, however, need a lot of maintenance, so an Engineer is a must-have if you want this thing in your Company.

Yakachi MAAA-2220 Hive Launcher - 6500 C
The appropriately-nicknamed 'Hive Launcher' consists of a large pod secured to the ground with attached sensor equipment and control console. Rather than fire a small number of large missiles, the Hive Launcher fires around four dozen needle missiles, which are each fairly powerful consdiering their size, which subsequently divide as per specifications given by the gunner and home in on their targets in swarms which are near-impossible to shoot down with PDS. They are designed for use against low-altitude aircraft only, and will not cause enough damage for use against heavily armoured aircraft, but they tear ligh aircraft to shreds and are also useful at intercepting large missiles.

Yakachi MAAA-600 - 5000 C
The weapon that really began Yakachi's domination of the Missile Air Artillery market is the MAAA-600, a highly adaptable launcher that fires medium-sized AA missiles four at a time. The missiles have good range that allows them to hit high altitude aircraft, are powerful enough to cause hevay damage to armoured aircraft and are fast enough to track rapid or low-altitude targets. However, due to their aging design the missiles are somewhat succeptible to interference from ECM.

Yakachi MAAA-1200 - 8000 C
The next generation of the MAAA-600 is the MAAA-1200, which fires double the missiles at up to eight targets at any altitude, and has advanced sensor equipment that enables its missiles to track targets with the most advanced ECM. It also has a rather massive range, and can effectively cover any area within a 25 kilometre radius of it.

Yakachi HMAAA-50 - 10,000 C
Probably the most expensive non-vehicle available to you, the HMAAA-50 is the first of its kind. It is designed specifically for use against Starships in low orbit (required for bombardment) or indeed in the atmosphere. It fires two, very large missiles that can destroy a Corvette piecemeal if they hit, but are succeptible to point defense fire. It requires four men to operate, and a Technician or Engineer in the Company is strongly advised.

Self-Proppelled Artillery
See 'vehicles'.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Vehicles
Vehicles get done in a kind of PW-like slots arrangement. For each kind of chasis you can buy there will be a small notation (giving you an idea of quality, etc) along with how many slots (for equipment and weapons) there are. How many men the vehicle requires to crew it depends upon the chasis and what weapons you buy. A P rate will be included for both.

Vehicles are variably prone to breaking down/experiencing other mechnical problems. Having an Engineer in your Company will greatly reduce the chance of such a fault occuring. Once a vehicle has broken down/been damaged, an Engineer can repair it given sufficient time and supplies (so having a Quartermaster will also help).

Motorcycles (Motorcycles can be driven by any kind of personnel)

Signal Bike - 200 C (1 P)
The Signal Bike is designed primarily for use by courriers and scouts. It is a fast, light motorcycle, with a surprisingly powerful engine that enables it to cross rought (but not too rough) terrain. It has no armour to speak of and no equipment or weapons slots. It cannot be used b any soldier wearing anything heavier than Medium Battle Armour.

Hoverbike - 600 C (1 P minimum, 3 maximum. 1 gunner, 1 driver, 1 passenger)
Produced by a subsidiary arm of the Yakachi Corporation, the Hoverbike is fast and lightly armoured. A tripod capable of carrying two passengers as well as a pivoting, heavier version of the Yakachi AS-140 Laser Rifle. The Hoverbike can cross water as well as land, but cannot be driven up steep inclines. The Antigrav Drive has yet to be perfected and has been known to break down without warning, often leaving the crew in something of a fix.

Salevera AG Field Bike - 1200 C (1 P)
Salevera are a defense contractor specialising in the manufacture of high-tech vehicles that surfaced without warning around two years ago. Since then, they have been locked in a furious battle with Yakachi for control of the high-tech vehicle market. With both producing their own 'style' of weaponry, however, most large military organisations tend to use equipment from both. The AG Field Bike is small, lightly armoured and very fast, with an Antigrav Drive that works in a 'field' configuration, enabling the driver to control the height of the bike's raise from the ground. This allows 'hopping' over low obstacles. Hopping in this manner is dangerous if attempted by untrained personnel. The Salevera AG Field Bike has no armament apart from a single machine gun fized-front facing between the handlebars. The trade-off for this is that the bike is capable of traversing all but the most extreme of difficult terrain.

Light Vehicles (Light, multi-purpose vehicles such as buggies)

Halberman Multi-Purpose Jeep - 600 C (1 P minimum, 4 P maximum. 1 driver, 1 gunner, 2 passengers)
An armoured, jeep capable of carrying a driver, a gunner and two passengers. The gunner mans a Light Vehicle Gun of your choice mounted on a remote-controlled turret on the vehicle's roof (in other words, the gunner can aim and fire the weapon from his seat). The vehicle is robust and reliable, able to cross difficult terrain, and its armour can turn aside most small arms fire. Anything heavier than small arms fire is capable of causing the vehicle and its crew grief, however.

Halberman Armoured Scout - 1000 C (3 P minimum, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 1 commander)
A wheeled armoured scout equipped with medium armour and a Medium Vehicle Gun mounted on an armoured turret. It is equipped with reliable coms equipment and is itself not prone to failure. Includes one Light Equipment Slot enabling it to specialise in whichever role you prefer. Its underside is unarmoured and as such it is vunerable to mines and carefully-placed grenades. All in all a versatile vehicle.

Yakachi AG Buggy - 1000 C (2 P minimum, 1 driver, 1 gunner)
A lightly-armoured AG buggy with a Medium Vehicle Gun slot and a Light Equipment Slot, to be filled as you wish. As with all AG vehicles, it has a few inherent technical faults which have yet to be eliminated by Yakachi designers, but with the possibility of malfunction aside it is a useful scout vehicle.

Infantry Fighting Veghicles (Light-medium vehicles designed to support infantry in combat. Usually have some kind of troop-carrying ability in addition to medium/light armament)

Hernston-Smith Armoured Fighting Vehicle - 2400 C (2 P minimum, 1 driver, 1 gunner. 8 passenger slots)
A tried and tested design, the Hernston-Smith AMF equips medium armour and a Medium Vehicle Gun as well as substantial passenger space that make it a good adaptable infantry support vehicle. It also has a single Light Equipment Slot.

Wellard Arms Infantry Fighting Vehicle - 4500 C (2 P minimum, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 8 passenger slots)
The Wellard Arms IFV is the best available AFV-type vehicle, comparable to the Yakachi AAFV in terms of performance. A tracked vehicle with excellent armour, designed primarily for use in built-up conditions but also suitable for more open warfare. It has one Medium Vehicle Gun slot and two Small Equipment slots. All in all, it is a very capable vehicle and one that has a good chance of keeping your men safe in battle.

Yakachi Advanced AFV - 5500 C (2 P minimum, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 10 passenger slots)
The first heavily-armoured combat vehicle to be equipped with AG enginers for hovering. It can move fast across water and land alike. Land mines pose no threat whatsoever to it. The AFV has a Medium Vehicle Gun mount (the turret) as well as a Small Vehicle Gun mount (a pivot-mounted weapon that can be manned by opening a hatch in the roof of the passenger compartment). It has two Small Equipment mounts. While possessing all of these advantages over the Wellard Arms IFV, its nearest viable competitor, it also possesses several flaws. Firstly, grenades rolled under the vehicle can seriously damage the AG drivers. Secondaly, the AG drives are prone to failure at any rate and require large amounts of maintenance. Its armour is inferior to that of the Wellard Arms IFV - its speed and manouevrability are supposed to protect it. All in all, superior to the Wellard Arms IFV in open terrain but inferior to it in urban conditions.

Light Armour (These are light tanks; fast, mobile and packing firepower. They are well-suited to combat against infantry and lighter vehicles but will be swept aside by Main Battle Tanks).

Halberman Jaguar Mk I Light Tank - 6000 C (3 P, 1 gunner, 1 driver, 1 commander)
It's getting on in years, but the Jaguar is still a ruthlessly affective tank. Fast with good armour and two Medium Vehicle Gun mounts (on the main turret) as well as a Small Vehicle Gun mount (manned by the commander) and two Small Equipment slots. A tracked vehicle, despite good armour on the top and sides its underside armour is weak and vunerable to mines and grenades.

Yakachi Type 550 Light Tank - 10,000 C (3 P, 1 gunner, 1 driver, 1 commander)
Yakachi's latest light tank is not, contrary to the predictions of many, equipped with AG drives to make it hover. Instead, like its competitors, it is tracked. With decent (but not great) armour, it's primary advantage is its speed and armament. It has two Medium Vehicle Gun mounts, two Small Vehicle Gun mounts and no less than four Small Equipment mounts. The engine is powerful and reliable, enabling the light tank to successfully cross most terrain at good speed. It is vunerable in urban condiions.

Salavera Advanced Light Tank - 14,000 C (3 P, 1 gunner, 1 driver, 1 commander)
Salavera were quick to leap on the oppurtunity presented by Yakachi's lack of a hovertank by producing the ALT. Fast and very manouevreable, the prototype version was known to strafe-evade oncoming heat-seaker missiles. Add a Medium Vehicle Gun on the turret and a Small Vehicle Gun on the turret's topside (which is remote-fired by the commander), as well as three Small Equipment slots, and you have a very dangerous vehicle. Its armour is inferior to that of both the Halberman Jaguar and the Yakachi Type 550.

Main Battle Tanks (The heavy tanks. They don't move quickly and aren't pretty, but anything on the recieving end of their main armament will be a pile of slag within minutes. Heavy tanks seldom have much in the way of equipment slots, and should be supported by Light Armour and/or IFVs. Halberman have been dominating the heavy armour market for some time).

Halberman Mk I 'Bähr' Heavy Tank - 10,000 C (4 P, 1 gunner, 1 driver, 1 loader/coms op, 1 gunner)
The Mk I is a mixed bag. Although cheaper than the other two Main Battle Tanks on the market, it also requires an additional crew member to act as loader due to being an aging modle in which robotic loading equipment for the main gun is not equipped. With a Heavy Vehicle Gun slot on the main turret, a Small Vehicle Gun slot manned by the driver and another in the commander's cupola. Two Small Equipment slots.

Thoran Engineering 'Cavalier' Mk IV Heavy Tank - 18,000 C (3 P, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 1 commander)
Thoran Engineering Systems are a defense contractor enjoying a very comfortable relationship with the Empire of Thoran, the most powerful of the free planetary organisations. The Cavalier is their fourth heavy tank, and achieves such high performance that it is widely used outside of the Thoranian military. Heavily armed with one Heavy Vehicle Gun slot and one Medium Vehicle Gun slot (twin linked with the Heavy Vehicle Gun slot), its main strength is its armour, which is made from an advanced alloy and is practically impregnable except from below and behind. 2 Small Equipment slots.

Halberman Mk II 'Nashorn' Heavy Tank - 20,000 C (3 P, 1 driver, 1 gunner, 1 commander)
Halberman's second generation heavy tank is a substantial improvement over its predescessor. On even footing with the Thoran Engineering Mk IV, it is even more heavily armed, with a devastating Heavy Vehicle Gun and two Medium Vehicle Guns linked and mounted on the main turret. Its armour is, however, notably inferior to that of the Cavalier. The Nashorn is slightly less powerful in terms of engine than the Cavalier, but its engine is also slightly more reliable. The Nashorn has two Small Equipment slots.

Artillery Vehicles (Self-proppelled artillery are basically artillery guns on wheels. They allow artillery to move quickly and not slow your other forces down. They are also more durable than normal artilley pieces. Self proppelled artillery equires 1 Vehicle Driver to drive the vehicle, and a number of Artillery Gunners depending on the weapon you mount on the chasis).

Halberman Self-Proppelled Artillery Chasis - 6000 C (1 driver, additional crew dependent on gun)
Heavily armoured but rather slow, tracked vehicle. 1 Artillery Gun slot. The gun folds away into the chasis' body work, and cannot be fired untill the vehicle is deployed, which will take a few seconds or so to do. The gunners must fire and load their weapon from outside the vehicle, leaving them vunerable. Two Small Equipment slots.

Yakachi Self-Proppelled Hoverartillery Gun - 12,000 C (1 driver, additional crew dependent on gun)
A hovering artillery piece that can move quickly over most kinds of terrain. The AG field generator is, as always, succeptible to malfunction. Has inferior armour when compared to the other two self-proppelled gun chasis, but does not need to be deployed. Crew can fire from the inside.

Thoran Engineer Self Proppelled Gun Chasis - 12,000 C (1 driver, additional crew dependent on gun)
With armour somewhere between that of the other two self-propelled gun chasis, speed the same, and requiring deployment whilst capable of being operated with the crew inside, this is a well-balanced chasis. It's main advantage is that it has three, not two, Small Equipment slots, enabling you to put on an extra toy to tinker with.

Weaponry
You buy these and put them on your vehicles. Without them, your vehicles are unable to do much in the way of damage to the enemy. The motive for having them is, them, rather obvious.

Light Gauss Gun - 1400 C (Small Vehicle Gun)
Useful weapon, effective against infantry and light vehicles at short range. Too inacurrate for long or medium range use. Whilst it will dent medium vehicle armour, it is unlikely to cause any actual damage.

Anti Armour Missile Launcher - 3500 C (Small Vehicle Gun)
A weapon which is effective against light and medium armoured vehicles, but of much less use against infantry. Fires armour piecing missiles at a rate of around one every three seconds.

Anti-Tank Missile Pod - 2000 C (Small Vehicle Gun)
A massive, one-shot anti tank missile pod. If it hits, it will definitely destroy anything less than an MBT, and has a chance of destroying the latter. After the one shot, the weapon cannot be fired again for the duration of the battle (too big to reload in the field).

Beam Laser Cannon - 10,000 C (Heavy Vehicle Gun)
Effective against light, medium and heavy vehicles at up to and including medium range. Fires a sustained laser beam lasting five seconds which can cut through medium vehicle armour like butter, and pierce heavy vehicle armour if kept on the same spot for the duration of the beam. It can also be used to hose down infantry. Prone to overheating. Slow rate of fire between beams.

Heavy Mass Driver Cannon - 10,000 C (Heavy Vehicle Gun)
Highly effective against light, medium and heavyily armoured vehicles at close range. Too innacurate for use at medium and long range. Reliable in terms of maintenance.

Robotic Howitzer - 10,000 C (Artillery Gun Slot, two Gunners required)
Loads and fires automatically, but requires one Gunner for aiming and another for supervision of the machiney. High projectile trajectory, very high damage.

Rocket Artillery - 14,000 C (Artillery Gun Slot, three Gunners required)
A pod consisting of 32 long range rockets capable of unleashing a devastating barrage over a wide area of land. Takes a long time to reload between shots.

AG Field Generator - 3400 C
Takes up two slots. This high-power generator is not designed to allow your vehicles to hover, but instead to briefly 'boost' your vehicle upwards and out of ditches, etc, or to unstick it from mud. Very useful in certain circumstances.

Blend Generator - 6000 C
A generator that takes up one slot and will mask the vehicle in question in a similar way that Blend Armour masks an infantryman. Less effective the faster the vehicle is moving, it is easily spotted at close range.

ECM - 2000 C
Takes up one slot. ECM helps reduce the chances of the enemy getting a successful missile lock-on the vehicle in question.

Decoy Drones - 4000 C
Two small drones packed with as much heat, light and noise as possible. If the commander of a vehicle detects a missile lock on, he can fire the drones, which then have a chance of drawing the missile(s) away from the vehicle. It is by no means certain, though, that this will be successful. One slot.

Aircraft
Aircraft heave fixed weaponry. Some require more than one Pilot, but most will only need one. They come in different categories. Air Superiority Fighters are designed for use against other aircraft and have only minimal air-to-gound potential. Strike Fighters are versatile aircraft capable of dropping in to an air-to-air or air-to-ground role, though they will not match up to air superiority fighters in air-to-air combat. Bombers are vunerable to fighters, but highly effective against ground targets. Gunships have no air-to-air capability and are designed specifically for ground attack, the choppers of the future. Support aircraft are designed for non-combat roles. All aircraft are equipped with ejector seats, but transport aircraft do not always have ejector facilties for the passengers. If it is specified within the description, an aircraft is capable of flying in orbit as well as in atmosphere. This does not make them suitable for space interceptor duties. Some aircraft are equipped with stealth coatings that make them invisible to most sensor screens. Again, this will be specified. All aircraft are considered VTOL-capable, though most will use the VTOL capacity for assissted lateral take-off in order to conserve fuel.

Air Superiority Fighters

Hernston Smith F-255 Viper - 10,000 C
An aging but still effective air superiority fighter equipped with a nose mounted minigun, eight short/medium range air-to-air missiles and four long range air-to-air missiles. Not to fast, but very reliable.

Thoran Engineering Kestrel ASF - 16,000 C
A much newer air superiority fighter, the Kestrel is equipped with a stealth coating. It is not capable of non-atmospheric flight, but is virtually unmatched within the atmosphere. Armed with a nose-mounted minigun, and a gatling laser cannon on each wing, in addition to 12 variable range AA missiles. Very fast and highly manouevreable.

Yakachi Type 40 Adaptable Fighter - 22,000 C
Matches the Thoran Engineering Kestrel in terms of performance, but also possesses several non-combat advantages over it. Firstly, it is capable of non-atmospheric flight and (if fitted out for it before take-off) combat, though it is notably inferior to space fighters. Like the Kestrel, it is cloaked. The ejector seat is more advanced and the pilot's chances of survival increased. It also possesses more advanced ECM equipment. Carries a nose-mounted gatling laser along with a fast-tracking light beam laser under each wing, along with eight variable range air-to-air missiles.

Strike Fighters

Wellard Arms Model-3 Buzzard - 14,000 C
Reasonably old, but still viable, strike fighter. Carries a payload of siz general-purpose bombs (laser guided if you have a satellite or ship in orbit, dumbfire if not), two armour piercing bombs (same), two napalm bombs (dumbfire), and four medium range air-to-air missiles, as well as a nose-mounted minigun.

Thoran Engineering Condor GAF - 20,000 C
Sleek, modern strike fighter. Like its cousin, the Kestrel, it has a stealth layer to protect it from probing sensor. It is slow than the Kestrel but more heavily armed, carrying sx dumbfire (laser guided with orbital facility) bombs, two rocket pods and two anti-tank missiles as well as twin-linked gatling laser cannons and four short range air-to-air missiles. Good ECM.

Thoran Engineering Vulture HGAF - 26,000 C
The Condor's big brother is a two-seater aircraft. It carries just two, long-range AA missiles, but is very fast. Its ground attack arsenal consists of two rocket pods, two beam laser cannons, four air-to-gound missiles and around eight bombs (dumbfire, laser guided with orbital facility), which can be either high explosive, armour piercing or napalm. It has advanced ECM equipment and good armour.

Bomber

Thoran Engineering 'Thunder' GAB - 16,500 C
A fast, realtively light ground attack bomber. Four air-to-ground missiles designed for anti-tank use, four napalm bombs and four high-explosive bombs, the latter being laser guided with the addition of an orbital facility. Also included are two much heavier missiles with excellent guidance systems, these are useful against really heavy targets like bunkers or naval ships (althoough it would be impractical for you to buy these - hence them not being available - they do exist). Good ECM equipment.

Hernston Smith B-180 Cobra - 23,000 C
Hernston Smith's latest aircraft is a twin-seater bomber. With powerful sensor equipment already on board and operated by the co-pilot, the Cobra does not need an orbital uplink for guided-bomb runs, provided it does not leave a certain radius around the bomb after dropping it. Designed purely for bombing, it carries 20 high explosive/armour piercing bombs and four napalm bombs (unguided). Other than this it carries a belly-mounted gatling laser cannon that can be operated manually by the co-pilot or computer controlled and linked to the sensors. The gatling laser has been known to shoot down incoming missiles, though this is by no means guaranteed.

Thoran Engineering 'Hail' HGB - 30,000 C
A monstrous, three-seater heavy bomber. Carrying a payload of no less than 120 high explosive bombs guided by onboard sensors, its sensor equipment is so advanced that it can relay data to ground troops. Slow and a big target, it has two onboard AA launchers for self-defense - these will not do much to protect it if it is attacked by fighters, though. Two robotic-aimed beam lasers provide point defense, though this technology is far from perfected yet.

Gunship (Gunships are futuristic helicopters. They can take off and land vertically, which they do almost all the time, and can hover for deadly ground attacks. They have no air-to-air capability. They are relatively new to the 'scene', and are as a whole less reliable than other aircraft)

Yakachi ATG Type-A Gunship - 20,000 C
The first 'true' gunship to be designed came, as do most new weaponry innovations, from the Yakachi Corporation. With one pilot to fly it, the ATG Type-A is designed for tank-killing purposes. Armed with a nose-mounted, high calibre minigun, four rocket pods and six heavy AT missiles it is well equipped for the task, Heavily armoured against light AA fire, it isn't the fastest of aircraft. Advacned sensors on board compensate for a lack of much in the way of ECM.

Thoran Engineering MHG-550 'Firestorm' - 28,000 C
Thoran Engineering were quick to break open the first ATG Type-A they could get their hands on in order to learn its design. Less than two years later they unvieled the TE MHG-550, aptly nicknamed the Firestorm. The 550 is a two-pilot aircraft designed for general ground support. It carries two rocket pods for anti vehicular use, two medium beam lasers for the same reason, and a payload of eight experimental napalm-adaptable missiles. The missiles are designed to be capable of piercing tank armour as well as exploding over the target (with the help of advanced sensors equipment manned by the co-pilot) to shower it with napalm. The TE MHG-550 is a versatile gunship capable of a wide range of tasks. Despite reasonable onboard ECM, it is rather lightly armoured.

Halberman Mk I 'Falke' Gunship - 32,000 C
Halberman and Thoran Engineering are (currently) allies in the arms industry. Shortly after TE released the Firestorm, a deal with Halberman traded the design's full blueprints for those of several Halberman tanks. Halberman were quick to spot a niche in the market and within a single year had produced the Falke. A large, two-pilot helicopter gunship, it is heavily armoured and carries advanced sensors and ECM. It is less heavily armed than either of the other two gunships, but is designed for a different role. The Falke is capable of carrying eight infantrymen in relative safety across the battlefield, deploying them quickly, and then providing fire support untill they need evac. Carries two rocket pods and two gatling laser cannons as well as four napalm missiles.

Transport (These are aircraft with little in the way of armament, designed purely for transport purposes. Troops of Ex-Proffessional Soldier training grade or above can perform airdrops from transport aircraft. No additional equipment is required for this - it comes free with the aircraft. The maximum transport capacity for each aircraft is shown in infantrymen. One vehicle or artillery gun - mortars and other infantry artillery not included - equates to 10 infantrymen. Vehicles cannot airdrop and must be unloaded at airbases or other suitable drop-off points).

Wellard Arms General-Purpose Transport Aircraft - 18,000 C
Large cargo aircraft. Requires one pilot and one co-pilot. Heavily armoured and with point defense turrets, as well as a substantial amount of ECM, it is an excellent long-distance heavy transport. Has room for up to 40 infantrymen.

Halberman Mk II 'NachtFalke' Transport Gunship - 36,000 C
A modified Falke Gunship designed for transport use. It carries only a single, belly-mounted gatling laser cannon with a 360 degree field of fire. Instead of the Falke's other armaments it carries a blend generator and a stealth coating. Its engines are silenced to minimise the chance fo detection by noise. Has room for 12 infantrymen. Needs two pilots. Also carries a blend generator.

Yakachi ATA Type-F - 34,000 C
Expensive non-gunship transport aircraft. Is designed as a fast deployment unit. Capable of travelling at ludicrously high speeds, it can outrun some AA missiles and carries advanced ECM to deal with the rest. Does not equip a stealth layer. Carries two air-to-ground and two air-to-air missiles as its only armament, though both are highly precise. It is designed to perform airdrops and has room for twenty infantrymen (it can also be used to transport vehicles, but they naturally cannot be airdropped).

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Starships
I haven't added any yet as you wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. You could theoretically produce a starship-dedicated force that fights in space only, but this is unadvised. Space combat in M: DV is a dirty and highly dangerous business that is far from perfected. Most space battles take place between small groups of two to four ships on each side, often from different sides of a system with the ships in question unloading long-range missiles off at eachother. The main advantage of having a starship, when you can afford one, is that you can transport your own forces from planet to planet, saving money on transport fees.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Other
With the weaponry and equipment lists finally, after around six months (I kid you not) done, the final things to worry about are finance, transportation and affiliation.

Finance
Income comes from successful completion of Contracts. These can range from one mission to several missions in terms of duration. Sometimes (not immediately, you will have to build up a reputation first), clients will contact you directly with Contracts. Sometimes you will be engaged in storyline mission series engineered by myself. More often, after completing a Contract and claiming your pay, you will log on to the MercNet and look for available contracts. To do this, simply post something along the lines of 'access MercNet and look for advertisements' and I'll help you.

You can also take out loans of between 10,000 and 50,000 C. You recieve the cash, available for expense, immediately. You can pay the loan back (+15% interest) at any time, but it gathers an additional 15% for every month (game time) that you do not pay it back. If you're confused by this simply ask me how much you owe and I'll work it out for you. You cannot take out more than one loan at a time, and must finish paying back one loan before taking out another. Only the big, interstellar banking corporations feel safe enough doing business with mercenaries, and so pissing them off by failing to pay back loans is not a clever thing to do.

Transportation
For the sake of simplicity, transportation on a merchantman will cost you 100 C per man, 600 C per vehicle, 600 C per aircraft and 400 C per artillery gun. The crew of a vehicle/aircraft must be payed for in addition to the vehicle itself. Freight travel is uncomfortable and your men - although used to it - will not thank you for it. For conveyance on faster, more comfortable passenger liners will cost 400 C per man, 750 C per vehicle, 900 C per aircraft and 500 C per artillery gun. Your men will appreciate this much more. The cheapest way is simply to buy your own starship, and although the initial investment (i.e, purchase cost) is very high, you'll find that it pays off in the long run.

Affiliation
There is no 'mercenaries' guild, or anything like it, but whether you like it or not, some Contracts will bring you either into favour or into contempt of certain organisations and/or political bodies. The organisations and a small amount of information concerning each one are listed below:

(These are not immediately necessary and will be editted in later)

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

backstory
Warren Waring stood silently in front of the tribunal. For the first time in his life, he was uncertain. He felt...fear. The man atop the platform was speaking, but nothing was getting through. Warren could feel the goosebumps across his body, the coldness. He felt his eyes dilate as the man stopped talking and sat down. He cleared his throat, and Warren was brought to attention, just briefly.

"Lieutenant Waring, in lieu of your actions on the night of Earth Calendar Date October 25th, you may consider yourself lucky to be facing a private trial. Regardless of the circumstances you may claim, raping a minor is never, EVER acceptable. Consider yourself lucky the girl's family did not press charges. Starting tomorrow, you will begin your twenty years in the tungsten mines. No chance of parole until fifteen years, sentence extendable by prisons board for up to an additional ten years. Don't try to escape, you've been tagged and your name is known across the planet. May God have no mercy on your souls. Court dismissed."

As Warren stumbled from the courtroom in despair, Michael 'Mouse' Stevens tapped him on the shoulder.

"Warren-"

Mouse sighed.

"Warren....two packages you HAVE to have. Don't look at me like that, you know I wouldn't do this if it wasn't important. The first one is from your mother. The second is .....from Lucy...."

Warren grabbed the letters. He opened the first one. Halfway through, he stopped and lowered the letter. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Mouse.

"It's my uncle..."

"Marcus?"

"Yeah. He...he was.....damnit. Mouse, there was a raid on Heor, he was massacred along with the rest of his division. Corps got there too late. God damn it, they always get there too late...."

He broke off. Mouse looked at him, sadly.

"Warren, I...I know what he meant to you. I...I'm sorry, if-"

"Save your pity. I'm facing the mines. The god damned mines. Who the hell is going to look after my mother here? Rodriguez? Once he hears about me, that....that....screw it, that god damned gigolo...he'll be gone and my ma'll be on her own.."

Warren looked at the paper, willing it to go away, willing his mothers handwriting was regular, wishing there were no tear smudges on the page that no amount of her care could conceal. And then he looked again.

"He...oh God. Jesus damn. He left me his...he left me the money from his house. Two hundred thousand credits. The card's in here-"

And the 5 men disappeared away from the complex and rejoined the squad.

Kaiser was the first to talk.

"You okay, Boss?"

"We killed Mouse."

"I...oh, I'm sorry."

Kaiser had known Boss the longest; he'd been the first man into the squad and one of two to have survived from the beginning (the other being Merlin). Kaiser knew of Mouse. Hamster spoke up.

"Uh, boss....What do we do now?"

"We move out and onwards. Same as ever."

And they did.

__________________Efficiency, efficiency they say
Get to know the date and tell the time of day
As the crowds begin complaining
How the Beaujolais is raining
Down on darkened meetings on the Champs Élysées

Flapjack: I'd be glad to assemble a Black Ops squad for you. Do you want me to email you the end result or PM it?

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

__________________Efficiency, efficiency they say
Get to know the date and tell the time of day
As the crowds begin complaining
How the Beaujolais is raining
Down on darkened meetings on the Champs Élysées

All
Back stories will enable me to make your character's role more interesting.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Vehicles and Aicraft are also subject to the equipment grading rules. If they're all Average Grade then that's fine.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

rest would be an engineer, a driver, and some actual fighters. if you would be so kind senior Dachi, could you eauip them for me? one ex-soldier. the rest all militiatrained. marines would be 1/3 heavy. tyvm

all men are Irish, and come from the same neighbourhood. They have been friends for like... forever? and decided to band together, fighting for a common cause, like the Irish people in their history (IOW, the new IRA)

__________________
Violence is not the answer, but for some reason, most people do take it as one.

I have but one wish: to see you all rot in hell before I trade this life for eternity

The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark, it scares you wittless, but in time you see things clear and stark

Used to all be part of the same black-ops unit, but when it was disbanded, they struck out on their own to make a profit. Other members of their squad are still out there, but since they didn't have the ready cash to equip them, they decided on this as the current team.

I gave everyone silencers, but I reckon laser weapons would be pretty quiet anyway?

All equipment is average except weapons, which are noted as being mastercrafted.

All
I can confirm that all Heavy Weapons require at least two operators unless otherwise specified. This is to ensure that people do not use Heavy Weapons troopers as a replacement for Regulars.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

All
Also, please do note that vehicles, aircraft, equipment, etc; are subject to the same quality modifers as weaponry and armour.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

How many 'fighters' do you want, what type do you want them to be, what grade of equipment do you want them to have, one kind of vehicle do you want the driver to have, etc.

You also haven't included quality modifers (e.g, Mil Grade, Average, Mastercraft, etc) for the equipment and armour in your current post. Please fix this.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

backgrounds:
flapjack:
coming from a reasonably poor family and with not a lot of places left to go flapjack joined the military, after only just having completed his basic training he was sent out into combat missions where he proved to be a huge asset, capable of either moving into an enemy base under the cloak of darkness and taking out targets behind enemies lines, even without the use of a blend armour or if that was not possible simply taking out the enemy 1 by 1 from a distance with an array of sniper rifles, selected for black ops training after only 2 years of service and graduated from that training best of class, from that moment he did what he always wanted and it is where he met most of his current team mates, most being all but David, after his 7 year contract ended he exited the military, that is now 2 years ago and his 2 closest friends from the time, Herman and Thomas have just come out of service

Herman, dot, Grand:
Herman, just like flapjack joined the military, however he was immediatly picked out during training to become a sniper, his accuracy high enough to literally shoot a fly from a paper towel at a mile distance without damaging the towel, this is also what earned him his nickname, he joined the black ops squadrons the moment he finished training and met flapjack there, they where in the same team and Herman saved flapjack's life several times, something which flapjack has only partially been able to repay

Thomas, scope, Fieldman:
Thomas is the son of a successfull general in the military, he joined the military at the age of 17 and entered the black ops at the age of only 19 years, making him 1 of the youngest black ops members ever, he was elected because of his abilities to move with stealth and grace, capable of getting within hands reach from a highly alerted gaurd without getting detected Thomas earned his nickname scope by simply identifieing targets for others to take out, he made his halmark in the black ops command center by sneaking into a heavily gaurded trophy room and replacing all the trophies with rubber ducks, undetected, the MP is probably still looking for the person that tried to flush all those prizes trough the boys toilets

Jack, boomer, Greenfield:
Jack was the engineer of the team, most of his personal history was a mistery but had an affinity with explosives and was capable of building any kind of explosive in no-time, capable of taking out a steel reinforced door without damaging the windows next to it if he wanted to. Not something that he ever had the chance to practice because most of the time when he was called in they where supposed to go and out without any regard to colletoral damages, he got his nickname from the fact that whereever he went, explosions where soon to follow

James, netgrade, Jumper:
James was 1 of those kind of people that almost never joined the team on a mission, until he had to come along with flapjack for a data extraction mission, normally they would have simply secured the objective and brought him as soon as the area was safe, but they would only have 15 minutes to get in and out before they would be noticed, the operation was a quick success and resulting in no friendly casaulties, it was 1 of the missions which nearly got flapjack killed, luckily dot was watching from above and saved the day, nobody really knows where James got his nickname but nobody really cares about that.

David, monk, Scotsman:
not much is known about David's history, simply because of the fact that flapjack only got to know him right after he exited the military, David got his nickname because of the volunteered work he used to do in a nearby monastery

<edit, personal inventory tweaked>

__________________
IRC quotes:
<Walrus> Let's all poke him next time he appears.
<Heiro> I think that is wise, Master Walrus

<Gryffin> ungrateful wretches
<Gryffin> they should be here!
<Gryffin> so I can grace them with my presence

yush I did, everything average xept those where there's a 4* infront of the cost...

vehicle would be something in which all my men could be transported, and for the number of marines... *g* I don't know really... 2 heavies, 4 commons, if there's a rest, it is to be spent on the driver's ride

__________________
Violence is not the answer, but for some reason, most people do take it as one.

I have but one wish: to see you all rot in hell before I trade this life for eternity

The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark, it scares you wittless, but in time you see things clear and stark

*flapjack thinks he could take hewitt head-on, as an airplane isn't much use if you have no idea where the enemy is and hewitt's remaining ground troops are nothing more then target practice to his projectile rifles*

*flapjack thinks that he can't take any of the over groups head-on, despite better training and mostly better equipment*

*flapjack is certain he could take out most other groups by stealth as a lack of equipment and training is highly detected amongst a lot of the other groups, tough the leaders of each group tend to force themselves to use mastercrafted stuff only*

__________________
IRC quotes:
<Walrus> Let's all poke him next time he appears.
<Heiro> I think that is wise, Master Walrus

<Gryffin> ungrateful wretches
<Gryffin> they should be here!
<Gryffin> so I can grace them with my presence

*flapjack goes to ask if some kind of extremely close combat weapon (aka knife, but preferably more sophiticated, more deadly and thus silent) could be added to the game, so he can put his mastercraft blend suit to some good use*

__________________
IRC quotes:
<Walrus> Let's all poke him next time he appears.
<Heiro> I think that is wise, Master Walrus

<Gryffin> ungrateful wretches
<Gryffin> they should be here!
<Gryffin> so I can grace them with my presence

*While Flapjack and his men are busy tracking down his hangerbay, Hewitt's intel officer has already marked their position and before they know what's happening their entire world explodes in a cloud of napalm.*

As Hewitt said, Blend masks rather than hides. Blend Suits don't give out any heat. The wearer, however, being warm blooded and all, does. Thusly Blend Suit wearers can be spotted using Thermal Imaging Goggles.

All
Please do post '(Average Grade)' if the equipment/weaponry is average rather than just saying nothing, otherwise I get confused.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Signaller - Morpheus
Watched some old movie once, liked the character. He probably already forgot the reason why he liked Morpheus, but he managed to remember the name. Yeah, he's the (only) black dude of the unit for the moment.
Engineer - Scotts
Scottish, somehow. Entirely by accident of course. Always wanted to work on a Starship, got stuck 'here' somehow. Must've gone wrong somewhere, sometime.
Technician - Neo
Watched to many movies, just like Morpheus. Wears shades when possible to put stress on his character. Tried kung fu and karate once, but kind of horribly failed.
Medic - China (f)
Asian looking girl, not too big and slim and slender and such. Cares about other people a lot and thus developped herself in the ways of medication and so, but no-one really has a clue how the hell she winded up in the army.
Quartermaster - Timothy
A nice guy, always on the look to get the others stuff they'd like. Responsible, bit of the younger, older brother type. Piss him off and eat gunfire though, reacts kind of violently.
Officer - Hansson
The older, older brother guy. Responsible, maybe a bit too serious. Also a tad on the older side, but still more than able to kick ass and do his thing.
Regular (Laser) - Lian (m)
A kind of small, fragile looking man. Has a frightened expression about him, but that's usually because he's worried about his rifle. He likes his rifle, a lot. He says his rifle likes him too. He says they like killing stuff together. And no, he ain't a bit cookoo.
Regular (Laser) - Longhorn
The guy in the 'squad' who once managed to take down a flying craft (they never found out what kind) with his laser rifle. For some reason, they started calling him Longhorn and he just adapted to it. Has he a real name, like some of the others don't seem to have? Who knows!?!
Regular - Grunt
Called Grunt, because, well, he really is the role-model for one. What kind of guy deserves to be a role-model? Well, this kind. Quit asking questions now, fools! (He kicks ass and looks very muscular grunt, soldier like. Happy now?)
Regular - Gent
Possibly the opposite of Grunt, being a real gentleman like he is. Well mannered (at times), he doesn't seem to be turned away from killing people and enjoy being in the midst of battles though.
Heavy Weapons - Wallace
Nuttin' special really, besides the fact that he likes storming tanks and bust them from real close. Has had some injuries in his time so far, but appears to be good at what he does. Does obey orders usually though.. Just at times. Yeah, you know.
Heavy Weapons - Erika (f)
A woman? Heavy Weapons? Tank buster rifles? Oh god! And she's pretty and cute and near perfect too! And mean, in a nice, but evil kind of way. Most guys have had their arse kicked after making a wrong comment. Then again, getting touched by her itself is a reward, no? Besides, pain is great! Woooo!
Heavy Weapons (Minigun) - Gunn
Gunn is a silent type. Doesn't say much, but is liked and likes the group in returned, in his special way. Has a thing about ripping stuff apart with his minigun, eager to go and use it usually.
Skirmisher - Sabre
Tough guy, acting tough and usually keeping his cool. Likes sniping, also likes punching people in the face, really hard, with a powered and armoured glove, coming out of nowhere.
Me - Fluffie
l33t in a can. No-one knows how he got to lead this bunch of.. Well.. Guys and gals.

How they got together as mercenaries?
Nasty story.
Short version goes like this:
Once sent out to intevestigate (read: murder) a small revolt that had found something nasty. Sent in as a 'black book' mission, the goverment wouldn't know them at all were they to be discovered. They were and the goverment claimed they were some evil mercenaries. The guys and gals quickly disappeared from the spotlights and the above sticked together, not really having anything to return to. What happened to the rest, they wouldn't know at all.
And yeah, they kind of try to keep the above hidden, probably wouldn't look good in the eyes of a possible contracter. So they are a 'simple', ex-military unit instead, who for undisclosed reasons went mercenary. They do the job and get paid, solving the contracters' problems. It worked like that so far.
To keep hidden, they kind of changed names (some of them at least, others didn't really care.) a bit and moved far, far away from the crime scene.

This good 'nuff or ye want more details?
And yeah, I dunnay know if you'll actually allow this story.
But it looked kinky?

__________________i want to cover her body with apple pie and eat it off her

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

ALL - START POST (new entries are still to be accepted, this will just start the thread off)

Location: Fringe Outpost 8-BThis sizeable if slightly unglamorous space station sits deep within the Fringe and serves as a secure point for Fringe merchants to stop over and, indeed, trade. It is home to all the necessary amenities such as breathable oxygen and artificial gravity as well as a permanent population of around 10,000 civilians, most of whom work as mechanics or technicians. As the station is firmly outside Earth's military sphere of influence, and the outpost is close to a number of focal points for trouble, Fringe Outpost 8-B also serves as a rest-and-relaxation spot for Mercenaries, and a meeting place for those looking for work. The station is a beacon of peace between Mercs, as it is owned by the aggressively militaristic Fringe Traders' Alliiance and policed by several thousand elite FTA Marines. For the use of the visiting Mercs, the outpost is filled with low-budget bars, brothels, motels and eateries. Aside from this it's mostly armouries and weapon-outlets.

Most new Mercenaries looking for fame, action, glory and - more immediately - employment, come to Fringe Outpost 8-B. You are one of these new Mercenaries...

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

Cortana IV
A large mining colony that underwent a military coup lead by a top militia general two years ago. The majority of the militia backed him. The general and his clique were annoyed by Earth's exploitation of their colony and decided that siezing control of the government and arming themselves was the only way to end it. The majority of the militia backed the coup. Earth immediately sanctioned the old government and the loyal militia backing it. In the two weeks before the local Earth Space Naval task force arrived, the Separatist Rebels had the Loyalists contained in a twenty-kilometre radius surrounding the capital (population 10 million). The arrival of veteran Earth troops along with orbital bombardment capability quickly forced the Separatist Rebels back. The Earth commander had the chance to eliminate the coup at that point, but failed due to his reluctance to commit troops to urban combat. The coup regrouped and dug itself in, preparing to fight a defensive war to exhaust Earth's resolve. Two years later and the war is in stalemate. The Separatists hold superiority in numbers and morale, but the Earth/Loyalists have better troops and orbital capability. Cortana IV is a mountainous world covered in genofixed plantlife, which has flourished in the nitrogen-high topsoil. The result is that battles tend to be fought with more emphasis on air support, artillery power and infantry than on mobile ground formations. A good many bases and thin supply-lines provide ample mission oppurtunities for black ops squads, and both sides are always on the lookout for additional rank-and-file troops.

Available Contracts

Earth Military - Looking for Black Ops Company for month-long Contract.
Earth Military - Looking for high-trained combat troops for airmobile missions. Air transport can be provided, but own air transport is optimal. Two week-long Contract.

Loyalist Forces - Looking for regular combat troops for month-long Contract. Any form of Company able to perform frontline ground combat is suitable.

Yakachi Mining Subsidiaries - Looking for highly-trained Company of varying kind to protect mining operations in warzone. Two week Contract.

__________________
`The Root of evil Avarice,
That damn'd ill-natur'd baneful Vice,
Was Slave to Prodigality,
That Noble Sin; whilst Luxury
Emply'd a Million of the Poor,
And odious Pride a Million more.'

*flapjack was scourging the station for a job, hoping to find 1 soon because their supply of credits was quickly running out and if they didn't find some employment soon they could get stuck on this station permanently*

__________________
IRC quotes:
<Walrus> Let's all poke him next time he appears.
<Heiro> I think that is wise, Master Walrus

<Gryffin> ungrateful wretches
<Gryffin> they should be here!
<Gryffin> so I can grace them with my presence

__________________Efficiency, efficiency they say
Get to know the date and tell the time of day
As the crowds begin complaining
How the Beaujolais is raining
Down on darkened meetings on the Champs Élysées

but what is more important to me, what are the temperatures in the different regions and what regions will my squad be employed in

because if the suit doesn't add extra heat radiation to the total (but obviously does reduce it because it is an enclosed suit and thus it contains at least part of the heat) it means that in an enviroment with a temp of above 30 degrees celcius we're going be almost completely invisible, even to IR goggles

__________________
IRC quotes:
<Walrus> Let's all poke him next time he appears.
<Heiro> I think that is wise, Master Walrus

<Gryffin> ungrateful wretches
<Gryffin> they should be here!
<Gryffin> so I can grace them with my presence